


Run With You

by mltrefry



Series: Run With You [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Romance, Series 3 rewrite, episode recreation, rose stays with the Doctor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 21:35:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 212,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7239346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mltrefry/pseuds/mltrefry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was almost lost to the void, but Rose held on just long enough to stay with her Doctor, to continue their adventures through time and space. But despite the near loss bringing the Doctor and her closer together, Rose is uncertain about the smart, beautiful Martha Jones joining them, or the obvious crush she has on the Time Lord.<br/>Originally Posted on ff.net</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Aftermath of Canary Wharf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Later chapters of this story will contain mild swearing and violence. It is not graphic in nature.

She stood in the shower as the water cascaded around her. She wasn't entirely sure how long she had been in there, the water temperature would never be anything but exactly how she'd like it. The dirt and dust from the day had long since ran down the drain, leaving no trace of what had happened on her physically.

But the scenes replayed in her head on loop.

" _Mum, I've had a life with you for nineteen years." Rose said to her mother, Jackie's eyes still wide with anger, frustration, hurt. "But then I met the Doctor. And all the things I've seen him do for me, for you, for all of us. For the whole stupid planet and every planet out there. He does it alone, mum. But not anymore. 'Cause now he's got me." She said, taking a step back from Jackie. Before she could say anything more, she felt something slip around her neck. She noted the button, turning over her shoulder to look up at the Doctor. "What're you-" He was gone a second later, and Torchwood looked drastically different. The parallel world. "Oh no you don't. He's not doing that to me again." She said quietly, pressing that button around her neck without hesitation._

She didn't think about the other people in the room. At that moment she was too angry, hurt, and desperate to get back to the Doctor that she didn't take a breath to realize what she was doing.

And everything that followed happened so fast. Clinging on to the magnaclamp for dear life, watching the lever fall into the offline position, loosing her grip to get back on line. Her palms were sweaty as it was, and the fear that coursed through her as she righted the lever only made it worse. The suction was strong, the wind beat against her, and she lost her hold. She looked to the Doctor, taking in his features, wanting his face to be the last thing she saw even if it was filled with agonized terror as he screamed her name.

Pain echoed through the back of her head, causing her teeth to slam together in her mouth. The breath was knocked out of her from behind at the same moment, and the world spun for an instant as she tried to get her barrings. For a split second she wasn't sure if she was in the void, or the parallel world, but when she saw the blur of brown and blue rush toward her she understood.

The void closed before she could fall in.

The Doctor's arms wrapped around her tightly, crushing her against his strong, thin frame. Sheer relief came over her and she looped her arms around his midsection and squeezed back. She breathed him in, and she swore she heard him do the same before feeling his lips crushed to the top of her head. For the longest time they stayed there, clutching to one another and barely moving but to breathe, until fatigue started to settle in in her muscles. He took her by the hand, as he always did, and together they walked away from Torchwood.

The second they returned to the TARDIS, the Doctor sent them into the vortex, and Rose went to clean up.

It wasn't until she was standing under the always warm water that everything started to sink in. She was home, but she wasn't. She planned on forever with this Madman in the blue box, but forever was always dotted with visits home, seeing Jackie and making sure she was doing alright. Mickey had been in the other Universe for so long that thought of never seeing him again wasn't all that alien, but to never see Jackie?

The last thing she said to her wasn't goodbye, wasn't even 'I love you', it was her looking at her mother and telling her she was happy to leave her behind. No, not happy, it wasn't that crass. She knew deep down that her mother did see how much it hurt to say she wasn't coming with her, but her words didn't convey that.

The sob erupted before she realized it was coming. Loud and hard, it was quickly followed by another as her eyes stung. What must it have looked like to everyone as she sent herself back without so much as a farewell? Pete had already rejected her as his daughter more than once. She couldn't imagine what he would be saying to her mum about her in her absence. Not that it mattered, not really, because what could he say to tarnish a bond that was made over twenty-one years and created by blood? Nothing, but that didn't mean he couldn't put salt on her mum's already sore wounds. Rose left her in another universe without saying the things she should have.

Tears ran down her cheeks and mixed with the water, her cries loud as all the pain came crashing down on her in an instant.

The bathroom doorknob jiggled, proceeded by a knock. "Rose?" The Doctor said from the other side of the door before the knob jiggled again. "Rose, are you alright?"

The lights overhead flickered ever so slightly, and Rose gave the tiniest nod before she leaned against the tiled wall. The glass shower door frosted further, making the opening bathroom door look more like a blurred silhouette of color. She could hear his footsteps come closer, see his shadow on the other side. "Rose?"

"Didn't say goodbye." She managed. Out of the corner of her eye, the shadow against the door grew darker and more distinct as the Doctor pressed his cheek and palm against the door. Leaning against the spot, Rose wept, pressing her cheek where she thought his was, her hand against his. "Just didn't think." She said, her sobs quieting. "You were gonna leave me again, and I was so focused on making sure I got back to you that I forgot to say goodbye to her. Now the void is closed, and I'll never see her again."

It occurred to her in that moment that he could say "I told you so." He warned her that she was leaving her mother behind, that she would indeed never see her again, and he seemed so agitated at first when she reaffirmed her decision to stay with him that he may still be now despite everything. Closing her eyes, she waited.

The Doctor inhaled sharply on the other side of the glass. "I'm sorry," He whispered. "I'm so, so sorry." His shadow disappeared from the other side of the glass. "I'll give you some privacy." He said, and a moment later the bathroom door opened and closed once again.

Scrubbing at her face with her fingers, Rose turned to the water, letting it hit her hard in the face as the last of the tears trickled down her face.

* * *

 

Once she was was dried and dressed, she walked out into the console room. The Doctor was studying the monitor with intensity, specks on, oblivious to anything around him. She made her step heavier, the grate echoing beneath her feet in the near silence, and he didn't flinch. Hesitating, she came up beside him, glancing at the screen only to see Gallifreyan displayed. Her hand hovered over his shoulder a second before it finally made contact, causing him to whip around to look at her. His eyebrows shot up while his brow remained furrowed.

"Sorry," She said quietly.

"What for?" He asked, studying her.

"Earlier." She said, taking her hand back and twisting her fingers. "'S not like you didn't warn me. Just kinda hit me, 's all."

He smirked, but it was humourless. Pushing himself off the console, he turned his body toward her, resting his hands on her shoulders. "I'd be more concerned if you weren't sad at all." He said, another attempt at a smirk fluttering over his face before it fell and he became serious. "I can't take you to her, but if you've changed your mind about staying with me, I'm sure you could-"

"Do you not want me?" She asked, cutting him off.

"I want you here." He said firmly, giving her shoulders a squeeze. "But if you feel you can't stay."

"I want to." She said with a slight nod. "This is home, here with you in the TARDIS. 'S just … I realized in there that you sent me away."

"Only because I thought that's what you would have wanted. Because I was sure this would happen and you would hate me."

Rose shook her head. "I wouldn't. I don't."

He nodded, reaching up a stroking her cheek. It was then she realized that tears were trickling down her face, and she collapsed against his chest. Not sobbing like in the shower, not even really crying, but the weight of grief settled around her shoulders even as his arms encircled her. Rose did not regret coming back to him, she only started to regret the way she did it.

* * *

 

He was oddly quiet over the last few weeks, not that she was all that talkative herself. Most of the time she sat on the jump seat and watched as he studied the monitor, typed a few commands into the scanner, occasionally making repairs on the TARDIS while mumbling to himself. The Doctor would glance over, flash her a smile, weak in the beginning but more lively as the days past. It was affecting her, making the pain of not saying goodbye lift a little more each day.

"We've been gone three days," He said when that time had passed. "We can go back to the Estate, if you'd like. Give them a chance to see you survived."

"What would be the point?" Rose asked. "'S not like I had anything there that could be replaced. 'S not like I intend to go back."

The Doctor nodded. "As long as you're sure."

Rose gave him a nod, a small smile seeping through when she realized there was relief in his eyes that he was doing his best to mask. It was probably the longest conversation the two of them had after Canary Wharf, and it was also the start of their physical closeness becoming re-established. He would take tea while sitting beside her, closer than he had in the few days before. It made her dare to lean against him again, especially during the rare moments she convinced him to take some time to watch a movie with her instead of focusing on whatever seemed to take over his time. And when Rose went to bed, he would follow her, laying down beside her though he was rarely ever there when she woke up the next morning.

So it didn't startle Rose so much as take her aback when she woke to the Doctor's weight shifting the mattress as he climbed on the bed beside her.

"Rose," He said quietly, barely louder than a whisper as he gently shook her shoulder. "Rose." He repeated, and she turned in her bed to look at him. It was still dark in her bedroom, the TARDIS humming in her mind as if aiding in the Doctor's probes to stir her. Her door was open completely, light from the hallway allowing her to see the Doctor's face. "I have a surprise for you, but you need to hurry."

"'Kay," Rose said, sitting up, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"You may want to get dressed first," He said as he got off the bed, allowing her to move with more ease now that the sheets weren't pinned down on one side.

"Doctor, I'm not sure I'm ready for a trip." She said as she ran a hand over her hair, her feet already swinging to the floor.

"It's not a trip." He said, pausing in her doorway. "Just hurry," He added with a smile before disappearing.

Throwing on a pair of jeans and pink t-shirt, Rose headed toward the console room where she found the Doctor typing before looking up at her.

"Wha's going on?" She asked as she came up beside him. He turned taking her hands in each of his, a weary smile causing the corners of his mouth to head toward his ears.

"I found a little gap in the Universe, just about to close," He said, his fingers flexing a loosening around hers. "I have us orbiting a super nova, which will give us all the power we need to get a projection through for a few minutes. But that's all we can do, and the time will be short."

"Doctor, what're you?" Rose asked, shaking her head in confusion.

"You can say goodbye." He said with a ghost of a smile.

"Rose?" She turned toward the sound of her mother's voice, glancing back to see the Doctor's smile growing.

It became contagious, and she matched his despite the tears in her eyes. "Mum," She turned toward her mother's image, still clutching one of the Doctor's hands as she wiped tears from her cheeks.

Jackie had her hands to her mouth, eyes damp. After a second she pulled her hands away. "Where are you?" She asked.

"On the TARDIS." Rose replied.

"We're only a projection." The Doctor said. "Anything more than this would cause both Universes to collapse."

"Is that why you look like ghosts?" Jackie asked, her voice shaking.

"Oh," The Doctor said, and Rose watched as he reached into his jacket pocket and pull out his sonic screwdriver. He pointed it at the console, and as it whirred Jackie's image came in clearer.

She instantly reached for Rose, and without thinking Rose reached back. Their hands fell through one another, and Jackie whimpered.

Rose swallowed, "So you're settlin' in then?" She asked, a quiver in her voice that she masked with a grin.

Jackie nods, sniffing. "Yeah, Pete and I, well, we're …." Jackie smiled sadly. "We're expecting."

Rose's free hand went to her mouth, and it's only then that her eyes shift to see Pete and Mickey a few feet away from Jackie, not coming in quite as clear but still visible.

"Three months gone," Jackie continued. "Pete will finally get the family he wanted, and I …." She trailed off, smiling. "I'll tell'em all about their big sister."

Rose smiled through the pain, a new ache forming in her chest for the one person she didn't know she would miss. "Not much to tell'em 'bout."

Jackie shook her head. "No, sweetheart, there is _so_ much. Big sister saved the world, she did. Both of them." She sniffed, looking to the Doctor. "How long?"

"You have about two minutes left." He said, and Rose tightened her grip on his hand.

Jackie nodded. "Then I have two minutes to tell you that you better take care of her. I mean it. No leavin' her behind, or risking her being stranded on some alien planet. You're all she has now so you better make sure she doesn't end up alone."

"I promise." The Doctor nodded once.

Jackie nodded, turning to Rose, smiling weakly.

"I love you, mum." She said, her voice cracking. "So much."

"I love you too, sweetheart." Jackie said, her voice stronger than her daughters. "Always. And I'm so proud of you." She added.

Jackie's image started to fade, and as it did the bravado her mother had forced on began to slip. Rose waved timidly, not stopping until the image of her mother was completely gone.

The Doctor pulled her toward him gently, cradling her head against his chest as she cried softly and held his shoulders.

"Thank you," She whispered between sniffs. He kissed her forehead in reply, and it calmed her quickly.

She took a moment to listen to the steady beat of his two hearts, finding comfort in the familiar yet strange rhythm, breathing in his scent. Sweet and musky, with something a little bit like a strange spice to it. It's safety, that scent, and now she realized it's home.

Exhaling slowly, she opened her eyes, smiling slightly at the thought of what he'd done for her, why he'd been so quiet, the lengths he went to make her happy.

She blinked once, twice, only to see something suddenly appear at the front of the TARDIS. Standing a little straighter, she shifted to see it a little better.

It looked like a … woman. With red hair. In a wedding dress.

She felt the Doctor shift. "What?" He asked, confusion in his voice.

The woman turned sharply, eyes flitting between the two of them as she let out a small yelp.

"What?" The Doctor repeated, stepping away from Rose and toward the bride. Rose followed, staying behind him, observing.

"Who are you?" She asked, pointing between the two of them.

"Umm," Rose managed, her mouth moving around words that wouldn't come out.

"Where am I?" She asked, looking around the console room.

"What?" The Doctor repeated, and despite the situation, Rose cracked a grin.

"What the hell is this place?" The woman yelled, hands balling into fists at her side.

"What?!" The Doctor choked out.

"Well," Rose said to herself. "This is new."


	2. The Runaway Bride pt 1

"We're in flight," The Doctor protested, moving back to the console while Rose stepped toward the woman. "It's impossible," His voice squeaked as he started pushing buttons.

"I demand you tell me where I am!" The Bride yelled, shifting as if she stomped her foot.

"Hey, 's alright." Rose said as calmly as she could, a smile on her face. "You're on a ship called the TARDIS." She explained, and the woman snorted with an eye roll. "'S true," Rose said, cutting the redhead off before she could say anything. "My name's Rose, and that's the Doctor."

The bride studied Rose's face. "What he do, kidnap you? Like he did me?"

"I didn't kidnap you," the Doctor protested, and Rose glanced over her shoulder to see the perplexed frown he was giving the various monitors and controls.

"Yeah, you did!" The woman yelled at him from around Rose. "Like you did this poor girl, except you didn't do it when she was half way down the aisle on the most important day of her life!" Her voice got increasingly loud, and Rose winced and leaned back as if she could avoid the sound. "Wha'did he do to you, huh? Drug yeah? Say he'd hurt ya if you rat him out? Because I'm telling ya, my husband and I, once he is my husband, will be having the police on him."

"I promise you …." Rose said, realizing for the first time she had no idea what this woman's name was.

"Donna," She offered.

"Donna," Rose repeated, smiling. "I promise you he didn't do anything to you or me."

"Then why were you crying?" Donna asked, her voice still filled with rage and frustration taking on a softer tone.

Rose's smile faltered. "He just let me say goodbye to my Mum." Rose confessed.

"Let you?" Donna's rage kicked back up again. Snatching Rose's hand, she turned sharply. "You're coming with me, and we're getting out of here."

"No, no, Donna, don't." Rose started to say, remaining just within reach of Donna as the redhead threw the TARDIS doors open. Rose shifted to reach for her if need be, but Donna stood stiffly, staring out at the beautiful supernova before them.

"But," She stuttered. "But that?" She pointed.

"We're in space." The Doctor said, and Rose glanced over to see him walking down the ramp with his hands in his pockets. "This is my space ship."

"How are we breathing?" Donna asked, sounding stunned but awed.

"The TARDIS is protecting us." The Doctor answered.

"Donna," Rose said, putting her hands on the bride's arms. "You're gettin' goosebumps, you should come inside."

Donna nodded, allowing Rose to coax her away while the Doctor shut the doors.

"I don't understand," He said as he partially jogged toward the console, passing them as the made their way more slowly up the ramp. "And I understand everything. But it's impossible for a human being to lock themselves on to the TARDIS."

"Human?" Donna said, partially coming out of her daze. "Is that optional?"

"For me it is." The Doctor replied as he ducked below the console and started to rummage for something.

Donna looked at Rose over her shoulder, glancing at her hands where they were placed on her arms. "And you're an alien too?"

"No, I'm human." Rose replied.

"Oh," Donna said, sounding as if the revelation didn't sit any better with her.

Rose glanced up and watched as the Doctor bounded toward them with a medical instrument in his hands. The one medical doctors used to check out the eye. She searched for the word in her head as the Doctor rambled in Donna's face, trying to find it, knowing it began with an O. Otoscope? No, that wasn't the one. It was something else.

_Smack!_

Her attention was pulled back to Donna and the Doctor, noting the bright red imprint on his face the looked nearly identical to the way it did after receiving a good slap from her mum.

The Doctor looked positively taken aback, and mildly offended. "What did you do that for?" He asked.

"Get me to the church!" Donna commanded.

Rose sucked her lips in to stifle a laugh as the Doctor sniffed and turned away from them in an almost childish manor. "Fine," He said, grumbling something else under his breath as he returned to the controls.

"Where were you getting married, Donna?" Rose asked, giving the woman a brief squeeze on her arms before letting go of her.

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System." She said, the anger that the Doctor stirred up in her seeping out with every word as she marched over to the jump seat, plopping down and folding her arms.

"Chiswick," The Doctor repeats as he puts in the coordinates.

Rose gripped the rail as she made her way over to Donna, bracing herself for the inevitable jerking motion of the TARDIS. There was a lot she wanted to say, yet nothing came to mind that didn't make her sound like a complete ass. And the look Donna gave her as she came to a stop by the jump seat, mixed with worry and suspicion, certainly put a hindrance on any further explaining Rose was willing to do.

As the TARDIS went in flight, She hummed miserably. Glancing around the console room Rose tried to find an indication as to what could be putting the ship in such distress. It wasn't any more rocky than normal, though you would never think that by the wide-eyed and white knuckle grip Donna had on the jump seat. Still, while Rose may not have been as in-tune with the ship as the Doctor was she knew something was off. Giving the rail a little stroke, she dared to move toward the console. It was more of a lurch than a step, but Rose caught her self on the edge of the panel, gripping it as she shifted a little closer to the Doctor.

"Something's not right." He mumbled as if he was talking to himself.

The TARDIS landed with her usual shuddering thud, and Donna seemed to understand what it meant as she bolted from the seat and marched toward the door.

"I felt it too," Rose said, her eyes on Donna.

"It's like she's recalibrating or something." He said, squinting his eyes and scrunching his face. "What's going on, Old Girl?" He asked as he stroked the time rotor just as a unhappy growl from Donna echoed back to them.

"I'm going to go check on her," Rose said, gesturing to the doors. "Something doesn't sound right out there."

The Doctor hummed in agreement but seemed understandably more concerned about the TARDIS than the ruined plans of their unexpected guest.

Stepping outside in the cool, bright day Rose craned her head up, taking in their surroundings. "This is London," She said, noticing the blur of white and red round the TARDIS. "Donna?" She said, following the redhead around. She caught a glimpse of the poor woman's face, the shock in her eyes, and Rose giggled. After she followed Donna around the TARDIS one full rotation she waited by the doors, watching as Donna did another couple rounds before darting back inside the ship. She heard the Doctor say something to her, the words muffled and indistinct. A beat later, Donna ran out the TARDIS, the Doctor keeping pace with her.

"I just want to get married," Donna said as she attempted to put distance between her and the ship.

"Come back inside the TARDIS," The Doctor tried to reason as they kept going.

Sighing, Rose turned and stepped inside. She could follow, probably would be smart considering the gob he has going on, but she couldn't find it in her to try. Running her hand over the rails as she made her way up the ramp and to the jump seat, she sighed heavily as she dropped down on the well worn cushion. It hadn't even been a half hour since she said goodbye to her mother, which was draining as it was without having been woken up by the Doctor and the TARDIS to do so.

"Is that why you aren't feeling well? Was contacting her too much?" Rose asked, leaning forward and stretching her fingers to give the panel a light stroke. The TARDIS hummed as if to say 'no', and Rose sat back. She studied the panel and the time rotor as if she could figure out what was a matter just by looking it over. Crossing her arms, it briefly occurred to her that the TARDIS might lie just so she wouldn't feel guilty.

She blew at her bangs before leaning her head back, closing her eyes. "'S not him, he's fine." She said aloud. "So what changed? Why aren't you feeling well?"

Rose thought it over, the mystery presented by the upset TARDIS helping to keep the memory of her mother's tearful farewell out of her mind. So if it wasn't brought on by that, and the Doctor was fine, why was she all wonky? She bolted upright as it clicked, and she felt thick for not having really thought of it before: Donna. The Doctor likely already had that figured out, which was probably why he went after the determined woman who was somehow taken from her wedding. But how? How was she making the TARDIS so upset?

The sound of feet pounding the ground outside drew her attention to the door as the Doctor stormed in, running for the console.

"Doctor? What's going on?" She asked, scooting to the edge of the cushion.

"Pilot fish," He said with gritted teeth as he began to hit controls on the panel. "They're after Donna."

Rose was on her feet, leaning away as the Doctor's manic movements came hurdling toward her as he put in coordinates. "How can I help?" She asked as she felt the TARDIS begin to move.

"Ah," The Doctor said as more sparks than usual flew from the console, and Rose jumped back a moment. "Oh Behave," He growled at the TARDIS before looking down at the controls. He glanced at the doors, then back down to the controls. "Okay, come here." He instructed in clipped tones. She moved swiftly, watching for another wave of sparks before joining the Doctor. "I need you to man these controls." He said, pointing to a couple of levers. "The TARDIS should stay on course, but if not, use that knob to level it out. When I've got Donna back inside the TARDIS, hit this button, got it?"

"Got it." Rose said with a confident nod.

The Doctor grinned, surprising her with a kiss on the cheek before darting to the doors.

Wind swept over her, and Rose glanced over to see a a car racing down the road through the open doors, and a distraught Donna banging on the window.

"Bloody hell," She choked out when she realized the Doctor's plan. She tried to watch him, make sure he didn't fall out of the ship, all while keep her hands hovering near the controls, waiting to jump in when needed.

She could hear the Doctor having an exchange with Donna, something about jumping, but the wind is muffling most of what he's saying.

"Rose," He yells to her, "The Lever." He gestured to the smaller one on the panel.

She grabbed it, and pulled down. "Oi!" She yelped as another wave of sparks flooded around her and she jumped back. The TARDIS jolted and she lunged forward, grabbing on to the edge to steady herself. Her hair whipped her in the face as she turned to make sure the Doctor was still in the door, tension easing as she saw him steady himself. He stuck his arm out, and the glow of the sonic caught her eye for a moment. He tucked it away, and Rose's heart sped up as she watched him outstretch his arms. "You better not fall out, or so help." Rose said, her voice hardly loud enough to carry.

If he heard he, he ignored her.

"Donna, you're going to have to jump." She barely heard him say. "The thing needs you for something and I can promise you, it's not good."

Rose squinted against the wind that came through more sharply through the door.

"Yes," She heard the Doctor say. "She trusts me with her life. Now jump!"

Rose watched, heart pounding in her ears, stopping a beat as the Doctor was tossed back into the TARDIS with Donna landing on top of him. The doors slammed shut just as Rose slammed the button the Doctor told her to, and collective sigh of relief sounded throughout the room despite the sparks erupting from the console and the smell of smoke beginning to permeate.

Donna pushed her self off the Doctor, kneeling beside him, watching Rose as she came to kneel beside him and help him up. "He better not be lying." Donna said gruffly.

"'Bout what?" Rose asked, giving the Doctor's arms a squeeze as she turned her attention to Donna.

"Trusting him." Donna said, holding her eye.

"I do," Rose said firmly. "More than anyone."

Donna studied the two of them for a long, quiet moment, eyes narrowing a little before her face relaxed. She didn't say anything, and her nod was barely perceptible, but she dropped the subject as the TARDIS landed with a shudder. She glanced at the doors apprehensively before getting to her feet. Rose stood up, reaching to help the Doctor though he didn't need it. Their hands fell into each others, as they followed Donna down the ramp and out the doors.

The landscape was familiar to Rose, and it took her only a few seconds to realize she was on a roof top overlooking her old neighborhood. Her eyes homed in on the top of the Estates and her stomach twisted in a knot.

"Went a bit rough on her," The Doctor said. " We should give her some time to recover. For a space ship she doesn't do much flying." He paused, and it gave Rose a catalyst to pull her eyes away from the Estate. "You alright?" He asked Donna, and Rose noted the posture of a defeated woman on the fiery red head.

"Doesn't matter." Donna said over her shoulder.

"Too late to get back, innit?" Rose asked.

"Yeah," Donna said with a nod.

Rose gave the Doctor's hand a squeeze before letting it go and going to Donna. The two of them went to the edge, and with an unspoken agreement they sat on the edge together. "Did you want to talk about it?" Rose asked.

"Not really." Donna replied flatly.

"Were you going somewhere nice for the honeymoon?" Rose attempted another avenue.

"Just a holiday now," Donna said with a shrug of her shoulder.

Rose nodded in agreement, looking back out at the horizon and trying to ignore the building that kept trying to draw her eye.

"Oi," Donna said, and Rose glanced over to see the Doctor's jacket around the bride's shoulders. "You're skinny. This wouldn't even fit a rat," She said, gesturing to the jacket. Rose looked up at the Doctor to see him roll his eyes before sitting down on the other side of Donna.

"I'm sorry about your wedding." He said.

"Not your fault." Donna said, and Rose giggled as he perked slightly at the thought.

He suddenly reached into his pant pocket. "Here, you better put this … oh, nope, wrong one. Ah! You better put this on." He said, pulling out a plan looking silver band.

"What's that?" Rose asked.

"Bio-damper. It'll keep her hidden, prevent them from tracing her." He said as he picked up Donna's right hand and slipped the ring on. "With this ring, I thee Bio-damp!" He said, popping the 'p', trying to get a smile from her.

"For better or worse." She said with a sigh and none of the humour the Doctor was trying to encourage. "So what was that robot thing?"

"Pilot fish," Rose replied, and Donna turned to her with a wrinkled brow. "'S like a little fish that sorta hunts ahead of the big fish. I dunno, I'm not explaining it well. They came around the last Christmas I was here, right before the Sycorax, er, the umm big space ship came over London." Donna arched a brow. "You don't remember that?" Rose asked, and Donna shook her head. "Really?"

"I was hung over." Donna said with a shrug.

"Blimey, must have been one hell of a party." Rose said with disbelief. Donna just grunted.

"What was it you said you did, Donna?" The Doctor asked, reaching into his jacket pocket and fishing out his sonic.

"I'm a temp. Secretary. For HC Clements." She said, looking to Rose. "It's where I met my fiance, Lance."

Rose smiled. "When was that?"

"June." Donna said, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "I worked for a double glazing company before that. Never thought I'd fit in. All a bit posh, you know?" Donna said, giving Rose a slight nudge.

"Yeah," Rose said with a grin and a chuckle.

"Anyways, he made me coffee. Nobody does that, nobody makes the secretary coffee. But he did, every day."

"What does Lance do for the company?" Rose asked, glancing past her to the Doctor who paused long enough in his scanning of Donna to flash her a smirk.

"He's the head of HR," Donna said with a dreamy kind of pride. "So, yeah. The two of us, a cup of coffee, and here we are six months later."

"Six months? That's a bit quick." The Doctor said rudely.

"Well, he insisted." Donna said, looking down at her fingers.

Six months. They met in June. Rose suddenly couldn't help but look up at the Estate. Christmas in London, at least a year after her last one. There wouldn't be a turkey to carve with Mickey who would try to steal some and she'd have to smack. There wouldn't be Jackie trying to make the whole dinner special to celebrate the defeat of a space ship, or her daughter's return to home for the special day. She and the Doctor wouldn't be sitting around the table with them, opening Christmas crackers and wearing paper crowns. None of the joy that there had been last year. Just a new, new beginning with her new, new Doctor and no family or friends really left to share stories of her adventures with. As far as she knew, Mickey told everyone they knew she was simply traveling. No one left would understand exactly what her travels entailed.

She swallowed back the heartbreak when she realized there was no real reason to even celebrate the holiday anymore.

"Stop beeping me!" Donna jolted her into awareness, and she noted the Doctor putting the sonic back in his pocket.

"What kind of work does HC Clements do?" He asked thoughtfully.

"Oh, security systems, you know. Entry codes, ID cards, that sort of thing. Really, it's just a posh name for locksmiths." She shrugged before getting off the ledge, handing the Doctor his jacket. "But enough of my CV, it's time to face the music. Oh, this will be shameful. I'll let you do the explaining, Martian Man, and don't you dare try to make her do it." Donna warned, a finger in his face as he stood up.

"Yeah, I'm not from Mars." He corrected, though Donna didn't seem to care as she turned and headed for the fire escape off to the side, leading them off the roof. "What exactly am I explaining?" He asked Rose as she stood up, brushing at her bum before coming up beside him.

"Why she disappeared from her wedding," Rose said, taking his hand. "Good thing you'll have me with ya, other wise the other half of the happy couple might give ya a slap too." She said, smiling with her tongue pocking out between her teeth.

The Doctor lit up. "There's that smile I've missed." He beamed. "Too right you are, Rose Tyler. Let's go reunite the happy couple."

* * *

 

One wouldn't have thought there wasn't a wedding by the way everyone was celebrating when they walked into the reception hall. Rose looked around at the smiling, cheerful, slightly drunk folks who carried on as if the party was a mere Christmas celebration. Had she went missing from her own wedding, there would be no way Jackie Tyler would let anyone celebrate in the slightest until she knew where her daughter was, and why she left. Then again, depending on the circumstances it may not have been all that strange for Rose to have disappeared from a wedding. But in that case, the groom (in her mind anyway) would have disappeared right along with her to travel to some far off place, not have a beer with a couple friends during what should have been the reception. Mickey may have, though ….

She then noticed the bride groom look in their direction just before the music stopped.

"You had the reception without me?" Donna asked the room of surprised people. Surprised, not relieved. Rose squeezed the Doctor's hand linked with hers.

"Donna, what happened to you?" The Groom asked as he rushed over to her.

"You had the reception without me?" She asked again, a little louder and a little more angry. No one seemed to know what to say to that. Donna spun around and looked at them. "They had it without me."

"We can see that." The Doctor said, and Rose smacked him on the chest. "Oi," He mouthed.

"Rude," Rose mouthed back with a frown.

He sniffed, looking away with a bit of a pout.

The crowd started to harass Donna, the whole lot of them demanding to know where she went, and what happened, and how could she? Rose clenched her teeth, ready to jump in to defend the poor woman, when the red head suddenly started to sob. Her fiance came over to her, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting gesture. As she laid her head on Lance's shoulder, she looked to Rose and the Doctor and winked. Rose barely contained a smile, and turned to hide her twisting mouth on the Doctor's arm.

As the crowd led Donna away, The Doctor tugged on Rose's hand and lead her toward the bar.

"Can I get you something, mate?" The bartender asked. The Doctor shook his head, and while she could've used a drink Rose declined as well.

Once left alone the Doctor sighed and leaned back on the bar top while Rose hopped up on one of the stools. They watched quietly as the newness of Donna's arrival faded off and the party resumed with the runaway bride joining in this time.

"I remember our first dance," The Doctor said off-handedly as they watched those on the dance floor move to the music in various ways.

Rose smiled. "You mean the one when we were hiding from gas mask zombies in a basement back when you were all big ears and leather?"

"Mmm," The Doctor hummed his confirmation, a small smile playing on his lips. "Much easier to dance in this body." He turned to Rose. "Would you like to?"

She shook her head. "Not really."

He held her eye, mouth twitching a little on words that weren't coming. "Yeah, probably shouldn't. Not with this whole mystery surrounding Donna." He said with a sniff, turning away for a second.

Rose noted the way he crossed his arms, the slump of his shoulders. "Are you disappointed?"

"No," He answered too quickly, curling his face before rolling his shoulders. "No," He added again a little quieter.

Rose grinned, her tongue between her teeth, and as he glanced over he must of have noticed because he turned back to her with a smile washing away his sour expression. "So what do you say, Shiver? Think this HC Clements may have something to do with all this?"

"Can't hurt to check it out, Shake." She said, clicking the 'k' and making him chuckle.

He extended his hand toward her. "Can I see your mobile?"

Rose hopped off the stool to fish it out of her pocket while the Doctor reached in his jacket and pulled out his glasses, popping them on as he took Rose's phone. She looked around the room, finding no one seemed to be paying any attention to them despite the fact that she was very under-dressed for the occasion and the two of them were the ones who returned with Donna. The Doctor hummed unhappily behind her, and she turned to see his eyes darkening, his features tightening.

"What is it?" She asked, leaning into him to look at the screen.

_HC Clements, sole prop. Torchwood._

Rose inhaled sharply and turned away, looking at the people again and trying to keep her composure. Torchwood, the very fools who were responsible for her saying goodbye to her mother that morning, who made her almost lose the Doctor, who brought so much death and destruction to Earth. A headache started to build as she gritted her teeth to keep back the renewed urge to cry. She felt his arm snake around her before he pulled her against him. The tension eased a little as she tucked her head beneath his chin while he pushed her phone back in her pocket before wrapping his other arm around her. The Doctor's lips touched on her forehead just beneath her hair line, and Rose let one of the tears that stung her eyes fall away.

After a moment, his grip loosened. "What a minute, hold on." He said before letting her go and darting off to the side. Rose turned toward where he went, finding him approaching a man with a camcorder in the corner. A breath later she was coming up beside the Doctor as the man popped in a videotape.

"I taped the whole thing, they've all had a look." The man said, "They said: sell it to You've Been Framed. I said: more like the News." Here we are..." He said, as the image of Donna walking down the aisle came up on the small screen.

She looked so happy right up until she started glowing gold. The scream that erupted was shrill and filled with a terror Rose could empathize with just before Donna disappeared as if she'd been turned to atoms.

"Can't be. Play it again?" The Doctor asked, his brow furrowed. The videographer nodded, rewinding the tape.

"What?" Rose asked, trying to watch through the Doctor's eyes as the video replayed. Something about it seemed familiar, but how she didn't know. There was a memory that felt fuzzy, making her a little dizzy trying to think about it.

"But that looks like Huon Particles." The Doctor stuttered out, taking off his glasses, and looking around the room. "But those are ancient. Haven't been around for billions of years. So old that …." And then he stopped, his face falling with realization a bit of panic.

"That?" Rose asked, and he turned sharply toward her.

"They can't be Biodampened." He said quietly. "Donna!" He called after her, and while he sought her out Rose immediately looked around the room for an exit. Giving a slight push to the people in her way, she headed for the front, stopping short upon seeing the Robotic Santas coming toward the building through the window, wind instruments held like guns.

"Doctor!" She called, turning to see him coming up behind her with Donna in tow.

He put a hand on her shoulder as he looked out the window. "Out the back," he said, turning around and grabbing Rose's hand in the process. Scrambling to the back, they had less people to hinder them, but certainly got more looks. The Doctor threw open the back door only to see another pair of armed Santa's waiting.

"We're trapped," Donna cried out, and Rose glanced around the room, seeing another pair of Santa's at another window. Squinting, she made out that only one was armed, and the other had a remote in hand that looked a lot like a video game controller. She remembered them having the same sort of device the year before, and dread hit her in the pit of her stomach.

"Christmas Trees," The Doctor said, echoing her thoughts. She glanced at him and then followed his gaze, seeing the beautiful green trees with shiny red ornaments standing in the middle of the room.

"Oh god," Rose said, her voice shaking.

"Why, what's wrong with the trees?" Donna asked, her fear growing more evident.

"They kill." The Doctor said. "We have to get everyone away from the trees." He said, tearing away from Rose and Donna while shouting instructions for people to move away from them. It took Rose a moment to shake the terrifying memories. Her mother tucked in a corner, fearing for her life, Mickey trying to hold it back with a coffee table, the Doctor defenseless in a healing coma. Blinking them away, Rose turned, attempting to usher people away when she noticed a little boy darting toward the trees. She lunged toward him, catching him around the waist with one arm.

"Go to your mum or dad, yeah?" She told him with a smile and a nod before pushing him gently back the way he came.

"The man's an idiot," Someone near the trees started to say as she righted herself. "What's a Christmas tree gonna," And she stopped.

Rose tensed as she looked over shoulder, expecting to see the to see the ornaments on the tree slowly float into the air as a cheerful melody filled the room.

"That can't be good." She said, thankful at least that the trees themselves weren't spinning toward them. Bracing herself, she stared at those lovely little red ornaments floating in the air above their heads, waiting for something to happening as she inched backward as much as she could. The anticipation of the worst did nothing to prevent her from startling with a yelp when one zipped down to a table and exploded.

Chaos erupted as everyone around her screamed and scrambled, pushing and shoving to try and find cover from the zipping ornaments. A hand gripped her wrist and yanked her back, pulling her behind something before she felt the familiar lithe body of the Doctor crash over top of her protectively. She cringed and winced as screams were punctuated by explosions, causing guilt and helplessness to come in equal parts.

"I have an idea," The Doctor said in her ear. "Just cover your ears and trust me." He said before darting away from her. He scooted closer to the table they had ducked behind, standing slowly and pulling out his sonic. "Oi, Santa," He said over the loud speaker. "If you're attacking a man with a sonic screw driver, don't let him near the sound system."

Shoving her fingers in her ears, Rose barely had time to shut her eyes before the piercing, high pitched sound filled the room. The headache she started to form earlier grew a little too strong to ignore. When the piercing sound waves died down she opened her eyes, just catching the Doctor flying around the table and sliding across the floor to the group of downed Santas. In the panic of the moment she hadn't even seen them enter the room. She got to her feet, stumbling around the table and making her way over to the Doctor's side to see what he discovered.

He picked up controller the robots were using, examining it.

"What is it?" She asked him.

"This," He said, drawing out the word, "is the controls to the ornaments, but." He said, tucking the controller under his arm a moment and picking up the robot head. It was still blinking. "Second remote for the robots. They aren't scavengers anymore, someone's taken control." He said, putting it up to his ear.

"Never mind that," Donna said behind them. "You're a doctor, you can help."

"Bigger picture," he mumbled before exclaiming, "Ah! Still a signal." He cried, jumping to his feet and reaching for Rose's hand. She barely had her hand in his before he pulled her to the feet and out the front door. When they were outside he put the sonic to the Robot head, squinting at it against the harsh light of the bright winter sun.

Rose took in deep breath of the cool air, only realizing now how smoky had been inside and how much her adrenaline was keeping her going. She saw the ambulances outside, the paramedics rushing in to help those who needed it, and a bit of weight lifted off her shoulders as if she was the one who denied the aid. But the Doctor was right, the bigger picture was what mattered, and by the look on Donna's face as she raced up beside them with Lance at her heels told Rose that maybe Donna understood that.

"Why me?" Donna asked, looking at Rose.

"I don't know," She said with a shake of her head, reaching out a giving Donna's shoulder a squeeze.

"But if we find who's controlling the Robots, we'll be closer to figuring that out." The Doctor said, lifting the sonic away from the head and pointing it upward. "It's up there in the sky." He said, moving the sonic around before cursing in what Rose would guess was Gallifrayen. "I lost the signal. But I think," He said turning to Donna, "this all started at HC Clements. If we go there, we may still be able to figure this out."

"But we walked here," Rose pointed out. "The TARDIS is on a roof top."

"Right, yes. Umm," He snapped his fingers and pointed to Lance. "Think you can give us a lift?"

Lance stuttered, turning to Donna who rolled her eyes and jerked her head in the direction of a heavily decorated vehicle a few feet away.

The Doctor chucked the Robot head over his shoulder and grabbed Rose's hand again, barely allowing the couple in front of them to lead the way to the car. He opened the back door, giving Rose a nudge to go in first. She scooted on to the other side, and the Doctor climbed in and shut the door before Donna was even in the driver's seat.

As the got out on the road, Rose gazed out the window, chewing her thumbnail while bouncing her knee in an failed attempt to settle.

"Hey," The Doctor said quietly, a hand steadying her jerking limb. She looked at the gesture before shifting her gaze up to his warm brown eyes. "How are you holding up?" He asked quietly.

"'M fine." Rose fibbed.

The Doctor sighed, lifting his hand from her knee and dropping it around her shoulders, sliding closer to her. "You don't have to lie." He said as he rested his head against hers.

"Really, though." She snapped a little, feeling guilty the second she pulled back and met the Doctor's eye. "It's a bit much, honestly, Torchwood being involved with this. But that should only make us want to help more, yeah? And I do, I do want to figure out what's going on. But I'm tired, and I'm starting to feel like we'll never escape that nightmare."

"We will," he said before pressing a kiss to her forehead. She closed her eyes against the cool comfort, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "Once we get Donna sorted," He said quietly against her skin. "We'll go anywhere you want. Beaches? There's a planet where the sand sings as the tide comes in. Or there's an entire planet made for shopping, if you'd rather. All of space and time is yours once we get this sorted."

There was comfort in that, and Rose pulled her head back just enough to lay it against his shoulder. She looked ahead, catching the glances Donna was giving them in the rear view mirror. A blush colored Rose's cheeks as she diverted her eyes, the bride in the front seat making it seem like she glimpsed something entirely too personal that she had only hoped to have one day. Rose looked to Lance, noting the nervous jitter of his knee and how he was looking at anything but those in the vehicle. Then again, given all that happened so far, he was surprisingly calm.

Donna pulled up outside the main doors, not worrying about the shoddy parking job though with the holiday it probably wasn't necessary anyway. The four raced across the lobby toward the lift.

"We'll go to our office," Donna said as she hit the button for the third floor. "Right where it all started, right?" She asked, though they were already on their way up. When the doors opened, the Doctor ran toward a computer, flicking it on and typing furiously.

"You obviously have a plan," Rose commented as she came to a stop behind him, crossing her arms as she looked at the back of the Doctor's head.

"I've been thinking about the HC Clements/Torchwood connection." He started to say.

"Torchwood, who are they?" Donna asked nervously from a couple feet away.

"They were responsible for the battle of Canary Wharf." The Doctor said, and Rose watched for their reactions. Donna looked clueless, and Lance … well, Lance looked like he wasn't surprised by Donna's reaction at all. "Cyberman invasion?" The Doctor added.

Donna narrowed her eyes, still clueless.

"Ghosts who were really robots and these things like flying pepper pots over London?" Rose offered.

It seemed to help. "I was in Spain," Donna said as if that should explain how she didn't know.

"They were in Spain," The Doctor said, sounding as stunned as Rose was.

"Scuba diving?" Donna challenged, and Lance rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"That big picture? You keep missing it." The Doctor said, either not noticing or ignoring the strangely rude way that Lance reacted. He returned to typing a second before moving to the next work station, trying that PC. "Torchwood was destroyed, but I think someone else must have came in to take over the company." He said, doing another search and bringing up a schematic of the building.

"But what does any of this have to do with me?" Donna asked, and the Doctor stood up, turning toward her.

"You've been dosed with Huon Particles somehow, and that's a problem because they haven't existed since the dark ages. The only place you'll find Huon particles is in the remnant of the heart of the TARDIS." He explained, and something stirred in Rose's mind.

She remembered the slitheen woman looking into the heart and becoming an egg, but there was something else. She closed her eyes, vaguely remembering a gold light, the Doctor's previous body, Daleks, and something else. Something not quite coming to the surface but was desperately trying to. It left her anxious though not in a fearful way.

"Rose?" The Doctor said, and her eyes shot open in the direction of the three people looking at her expectantly, the Doctor with a little more worry in his features than the other two. "Coming?"

"Yeah," She said with a nod, though she had no idea where to. She followed them toward a lift where the Doctor hit the call button going down.

"Underneath reception there's a basement, yes?" The Doctor said, and Lance hummed in agreement as the doors opened. The Doctor stepped in. "So how come there's another button marked lower basement?" He asked, and Rose stepped around Donna to get inside beside him.

"You're saying this building has a secret floor?" Lance asked, not sounding nearly as surprised as he probably should.

"No, I'm showing you there's a secret floor," The Doctor said impatiently as he reached into his inner pocket.

"But it needs a key," Donna pointed out, and Rose managed to muffle the snort as the Doctor pulled out his sonic.

"We don't," The Doctor said, taking Rose's hand at the same second he soniced the lock. "Right then, we'll take it from here." He said with a grin.

"I don't think so, Martian Man. You and Rose keep saving my life, I'm not letting either of you out of my sight." Donna said as she stormed on to the elevator. She turned, hand on the door. "Lance?"

"Maybe I should go to the police?" He suggested, pointing down the hall in an eager tone. What man would willingly let the woman he loves take off into unknown danger while he ran the other way?

"Inside," Donna demanded as Rose narrowed her eyes at the exasperated man. He was worse than Mickey was in the beginning, the coward.

"To honor and obey," The Doctor said with a touch of sarcasm.

"You're telling me mate." Lance said over his shoulder.

"Oi," Rose and Donna said, turning to their male counterparts as the doors to the lift closed.


	3. The Runaway Bride pt 2

" _To honor and obey," The Doctor said with a touch of sarcasm._

" _You're telling me mate." Lance said over his shoulder._

" _Oi," Rose and Donna said, turning to their male counterparts as the doors to the lift closed._

The Doctor cracked a grin, seemingly pleased with his instigating, and she smacked him on the chest. It only seemed to make it worse. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head before the lift slowed and came to a stop. When the doors opened with a ping, the four were greeted by a poorly lit hallway that seemed to go on forever.

"Dark, scary corridor," Rose said, listening to the distant sound of drip. "Usually nothing at all lurking down these, yeah?"

The Doctor hummed with a pouted lip. "Could be nothing, could be the answer to our mystery." He turned to Rose with a grin. "What do you say, Lewis? Shall we go investigate?"

Rose returned the grin cheekily but said nothing.

"Do you think HC Clements knows about this place?" Donna asked as they took a couple steps forward, all but Lance having a gander at their surroundings.

"I think he's likely behind it all," The Doctor replied, looking off to the side before doing a double take. "Oh, look, transport." He said, letting go of Rose's hands and darting to the side. Three segways sat parked in an alcove with an empty spot for a fourth one. The Doctor frowned. "Though we're one short."

"You're skinny enough there'd be space for another with you." Donna pointed out, marching up beside the Doctor and grabbing one. "Lance, you take the other. Rose and Martian Man probably wouldn't mind squeezing on one together."

"I'm not from Mars." The Doctor mumbled with quiet exasperation as he pulled the remaining segway out of its place. He steadied it for Rose to get on before stepping up behind her. The squeeze was tight, and as he pressed up against her back the double rhythm of his hearts sped and stuttered. He cleared his throat. "Alright, we all ready?" He asked, and Rose looked to Donna as she nodded. "Alright then, Allons-y!" He half cried, thrusting his finger out to point the way before starting the segway.

It became obvious fairly quickly that the only real advantage the segways seemed to have was that the didn't have to run. Rose was fatigued, Donna was in her dress, and Lance's shoes were hardly made for a long jaunt, making the slow moving vehicles practical for the most part. Not to mention she really didn't mind the coolness of the Doctor against her like this, even if it was out of necessity. But she was sure they could and have ran faster than these step stools on wheels, and a glance at Donna indicated she was probably thinking the same thing. Donna's mouth twitched, and Rose's nose flared right before the redhead let a chuckle slip. Rose snorted as Donna laughed a little more, and the Doctor's chest vibrated against her back as the three of them all started laughing at themselves. Lance didn't join them, though he did keep looking at them like they'd all gone mad.

They slowly managed to pull themselves together as they started to near the end of the hallway, and for the first time all day the tear Rose wiped off her cheek had nothing to do with sadness.

"Oh, look at that." The Doctor said, pointing to a door off to the side with the Torchwood logo and a notice barring unauthorized access. He stopped the segway, and Lance and Donna did the same as he hopped down, giving Rose a hand before he opened the door. All that was inside was a ladder, a really long one from the looks of things. "Wait here, just gotta get my barrings." He said as he stepped on to the bottom rung.

"You better come back," Donna warned.

The Doctor paused. "Like I'd leave Rose behind." He said with mock offense.

"Wouldn't be the first time." Rose quipped, crossing her arms as leaned against the door frame.

"Oi," The Doctor said, his eyes glinting despite the frown. Rose winked. "Be right back." He added as he started up the ladder. Rose watched him, or rather a very specific part of him as he climbed the rungs. Not often she got to appreciate him from this angle, and she certainly had to hand it to the man for selecting a suit with trousers that fit him so well.

"Donna," Lance said behind her. "Have you thought this through properly? I mean, this is serious, what are we going to do?"

"Oh," Donna said as if she was partly distracted. "I was thinking July."

Rose snorted.

"What's so funny?" Lance asked her sharply.

"Oi," Donna said, and Rose turned in time to see her smack Lance hard on the chest. "Don't talk to her like that. She's had a stressful day."

"Haven't we all?" Lance groaned.

Donna rolled her eyes, looking back up and waiting for the Doctor. It took Rose a little longer to pull her attention back to the top of the ladder, watching as Lance fidgeted and peered all around him in a way that didn't make him seem nervous over getting caught. Something else was going on there, but much like the funny memory that kept coming up at the mention of the particles, Rose couldn't place why.

Hearing something above got her attention, and she turned to see the Doctor backing down the ladder a little ways before letting go and falling easily to his feet.

"Thames flood barrier," He said, straightening his jacket. "Torchwood came in and built the facility right under it."

"A secret facility under a London landmark?"

"I know, unheard of." The Doctor mocked, earning a smack on the arm from Rose. He frowned, straightening his tie before gesturing for them to follow him. Leaving the segways where they were, they walked down the hall a little ways and found another entry point with the Torchwood logo. The clear door hid nothing from those outside, showing them well before they stepped inside the laboratory that could have come right out of the lair of a mad scientist in a cartoon. Rose stayed near the Doctor, eying the bubbling tubes with suspicion.

"Oh, look at this," The Doctor said with an appreciation that matched Rose's apprehension of the same tubes. He looked them over, bending and twisting in examination. "Particle Extrusion." He said as if it would explain everything.

"Meaning?" Rose asked, holding her self as she watched the Doctor tap a tube with his knuckles.

"Their manufacturing Huon particles. Brilliant. Unraveled the atomic structure in case my people got rid of them." He said to Rose over his shoulder before he put his hands in his pockets and rocked on his feet, studying the tubes before moving on.

"Your people?" Lance asked suspiciously. "What company do you work for?"

"Oh, just a freelancer me," The Doctor said nonchalantly as he continued on to another tube. "This lot are rebuilding them using the river. Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result." He said, suddenly darting down to one of the tubes at the end of the row.

"Which is?" She asked as he took what looked like a small perfume bottle from the silver base of one of the tubes.

"Huon particles in liquid form." He said, extending his arm slightly to show the gold liquid as Donna came up beside Rose.

"And that's what's inside me?" She asked, pointing to the bottle.

The Doctor looked up at Donna, twisting the top, making the contents glow.

Rose gasped, her whole body suddenly warming and her mind humming in a similar way the TARDIS would hum in her mind. Dizzy, she put her hands out to the side to steady herself, looking over at Donna who glowed like the liquid did, the woman returning the gaze with wide eyed fear.

"Oh my God," She said, looking Rose up and down.

It was the first time she noticed her own hand was glowing. Rose's heart began to pound, finding it a little harder to breath as she turned to the Doctor.

He was frozen, staring at her in disbelief with his fingers still gripping the top of the bottle.

"That's not possible." He managed to choke out.

"Hold up, I thought you said your people got rid of Huon particles," Lance said from somewhere behind them. "So why is she glowing too?"

"I," the Doctor swallowed, stuttering. "I-I don't know." He turned the top of the bottle, and the warmth and dizziness left Rose in an instant. Pocketing the bottle, the Doctor came over to her, gripping her shaking form gently, examining her face and eyes before cupping her face in his cool hands. "Donna was exposed to them, likely used as a catalyst, but Rose …." He trailed off shaking his head. "Rose was never exposed to Huons like those." He said grimly like he knew exactly how she was.

"Doctor?" She asked him her voice shaking.

"I thought I got rid of it, all of it. I thought …." He trailed off, genuine fear in his eyes.

"Why did your lot get rid of them?" Donna asked, worriedly.

"Because they're deadly," The Doctor replied, stroking Rose's cheek. She tried to swallow the lump in throat, attempting to put on a brave face for the Doctor's sake, as well as Donna's. "I'll sort this out." He said with promise in his voice before turning his attention to Donna. "Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it."

"I don't think you will," A voice said around them, feminine yet very alien in tone.

As the three of them glanced around to see where it could be coming from, the nearby wall slowly started to lift up, revealing something that looked almost like a cavern with a deep pit in the middle lined with some kind of metal. Gangplanks lined the walls, each with multiple robots in black robs armed and aiming their weapons at them. "I have waited a long time for this, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to be wakened."

Hesitantly, the three advanced, the Doctor a little more daring than Rose or Donna, going right up to the edge of the pit. "Someone's been digging," He commented, leaning forward and peering down. "Very Torchwood. How far down does it go?"

"Down, down, down, all the way to the center of the Earth." The voice replied.

"Seriously?" The Doctor said, "What for?"

"Energy source?" Rose asked as she came up beside him, hand resting on his arm as she peered down. "'S what they were drilling for on Krop Tor, yeah?"

"It was," The Doctor said thoughtfully. "But they had some indication that there was something down there. Not so sure Torchwood did." The Doctor said, peering into the pit once more.

"Such a sweet couple," The voice hissed above them.

"Only a madman talks to thin air, and believe me you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?" He shouted above them, taking Rose's hand as it fell from it's place on his arm as he moved about in a circle, stopping beside Donna.

"Up high in the sky."

"I didn't come all this way to talk to on an intercom," He bellowed. "Come on, show yourself."

A moment later a large form began to materialize on the other side of the pit.

Of all the aliens Rose had seen on her journey with the Doctor not a single one of them made her as squeamish as the thing at appeared before them. A spider body, the torso and head of what kind of looked like a woman sticking out where the head should be, arms that looked like partial lobster claws, and the eyes. Ugh, why did it have to have as many eyes as a spider, and why did they have to be spread out like that.

"The Racnoss." The Doctor said, taken aback for once. "You're one of the Racnoss."

"Empress of the Racnoss," The disgusting spider-like thing replied with a hiss.

"Where's the rest of the Racnoss?" He asked. "Or are you the only one?" He added.

"Such a sharp mind," She said with another hiss.

"What is it?" Rose asked, unable to pull her eyes away from the thing.

"Something that shouldn't exist," The Doctor said, slowly starting to back away while trying to pull Rose back a bit behind him. "The were Omnivores from the dark times, they devoured whole planets."

"Racnoss are born starving. Is that our fault?" It asked rhetorically.

"They eat people?" Donna asked, easing herself back in step with them.

The Doctor nodded while his eyes searched. He stopped, eyes focused on the ceiling. "Did HC Clements where those black and white shoes?" He asked.

"He did!" Donna replied, seemingly happy for the distraction. "We called him the fat cat in spats."

Rose looked up to where the Doctor had his gaze, searching until she found the shoes he asked about.

"Oh my god," Donna spat as Rose cringed. The Doctor's grip on her hand tightened.

"What I don't understand is how you're here." The Doctor said, putting his attention on the Racnoss. "The Fledging Empires went to war against the Racnoss. They were wiped out."

"Except for me." The Racnoss said tauntingly.

"So what's this Huon energy thing about then, huh?" Donna asked, fear suddenly replaced with a fierce, brave anger that took Rose by surprise. "Oi, look at me, Lady!" She demanded. "I'm talking. Where do I fit in?" Rose looked wide eyed between Donna and the Doctor, turning to the Racnoss as something caught the alien's attention. "Look me in the eye and tell me." Donna demanded just as Rose caught sight of Lance creeping toward the Racnoss with an axe in his hand. He didn't look all that terrified, something that sent alarm bells off in Rose's head.

"The bride is feisty," The spider hissed with pleasure.

"Yeah, I am." Donna said, the corners of her mouth twitching upward. "But a spider's still a spider, and an axe is still and an axe. Now, do it!" She yelled at Lance, and the man raised the axe.

Rose watched with baited breath, her body tensing as the Racnoss wheeled around on Lance, hissing viciously. They stared each other for a moment, and then they burst into a cackling laugh, and Rose's heart broke for the woman beside her.

"What?" Donna asked, confused and hurt.

"God she's so thick!" Lance said as if he'd hit his breaking point. "Months I've had to put up with this woman."

"I don't understand." Donna said, her voice wavering.

"How did you meet?" The Doctor asked.

"Like I told Rose, at the office."

"Where he made you coffee," Rose said, closing her eyes as she understood what the Doctor had already figured out.

"You had to be dosed with the particles over six months." The Doctor explained. "And you're getting married. The excitement and anticipation, the adrenaline, endorphins, all those hormones stirring inside you made the perfect oven for the particles to cook in."

"But," Donna stuttered, "It's not like he knew we'd …."

"Falling in love," the Doctor gently cut her off, "can do the same thing."

"And that's what made it so easy." Lance said with a sneer. "A few choice words, putting up with your annoying chatter, pretending I gave a damn about the celebrity gossip, and the latest trends, and hating the 'posh gits'. I deserve a medal." He concluded with a snort.

"Oh is that what the Empress of the Racnoss offered you?" The Doctor asked. "A silly little prize? A badge of honour?"

Lance chuckled darkly. "Like you kept saying, Doctor. The Big Picture. What's the point of all this is the Human Race is nothing? The Empress has given me a chance to get out there, see it all. I think your little side piece can understand that, can't she Doctor."

"Oi," Rose growled, glaring at the two faced son of a bitch.

"Who is this little Doctor man?" The Racnoss asked Lance.

"Donna said he was a Martian."

"Oh I'm sort of homeless." The Doctor said nonchalantly. "But a better point of interest is what's down there? What's gonna help you thousands of miles down?"

"He wants us to talk." Lance sneered.

"I think so, too." The Racnoss agreed. She turned her head, "Kill the chattering Doctor-man and his friend." She commanded the robots over her shoulder, and they lifted their guns a little more, training them on the trio.

"Can I just point the obvious?" The Doctor asked, letting go of Rose's hand and stepping in front of her and Donna.

"Doctor?" Rose asked, furrowing her brow, looking between him and the army of robots ready to fire.

"They won't kill the bride," The Empress smiled, if that's what you could call it. "They have such good aim."

"Yes, but just, just, just, hold just a tick. Just a tiny, just a little tick. If you think about it, the particles in Donna pulled her inside my spaceship," He said, sticking his hands in his pockets for a moment, rocking on his heels once before pulling out the little bottle of golden liquid. "So reverse it and the ship comes to her." He said as he twisted the top.

The sound of the TARDIS drowned out the gun fire, and it wasn't until the walls materialized completely around them that Rose finally exhaled. Bent over to catch her breath, her eye drawn to the golden glow on her hand as it faded away.

"Right," The Doctor said, darting between them and over to the control panel. "What ever the Racnoss is after had to have been there since the beginning. Molto bene, I've always wanted to see this. Rose, special treat for you, going back farther than we've ever gone before."

Rose righted herself, brushing her hair from her face and noting Donna trying hard to keep her composure and failing. Tears ran furiously down her cheeks as she clutched her hand to her mouth to muffle the sobs.

"Donna," Rose said, taking the red head in her arms and hugging her from the side. "I'm so sorry." She said, stroking Donna's arm. "'S always the worst, innit? Thinkin' you found the perfect bloke, havin' to find out the hard way he was never who you thought." She said, remembering all too well what it was life for her. Jimmy was years ago, and while the wounds were healed she the memories were still strong.

"I loved him," Donna choked out, making Rose squeeze her tighter.

Slowly, Donna's sobs quieted until the only sound in the TARDIS was her soothing hum and the whir of the engines. Rose looked over at the Doctor as he watched the two of the solemnly, hands in his pockets, a distant look in his eyes. He took a deep breath, realizing he'd been caught, and reached over to press a button on the control panel. There was a slight shudder throughout the ship.

"We've arrived." He said. "Want to see?"

"I s'pose," Donna said without enthusiasm.

The Doctor headed for the doors, "No humans have ever seen this before." He noted as he put a hand on the door handle, waiting as Rose guided Donna down the ramp with one arm still around her.

"All I want to see is my bed," Donna said glumly.

"You may be surprise how quickly you'll change your mind." Rose said encouragingly.

"Doubt that." She snorted.

Rose glanced apologetically to the Doctor, but he didn't seem all that hurt. He smiled back at Rose with an air of pride.

"Rose, Donna, welcome to the creation of the Earth." He said as he pulled open the door.

Rose gasped, a smile stretching across her face as she drifted away from Donna toward the Doctor. Her hand found his, their fingers intertwining.

"We've gone back 4.6 billion years," he explained as Rose took in the breathtaking view before them. "There's no solar system yet, just dust and rocks and gas. Over there's the sun, just starting to burn." He pointed out.

"'S beautiful," Rose said, leaning against him, smiling wider as he shifted. Her head fell against his chest just above where his right heart beat.

"Where's the Earth?" Donna asked with awe in her voice.

"All around us," The Doctor said, his thumb grazing Rose's. "In the dust."

"Puts the wedding thing in perspective." Donna commented, snorting. "Lance is right, we're just tiny."

"But that's what you do," The Doctor said. "The human race. Making sense of the chaos, marking it out with weddings, Christmases, and Calendars."

The three stayed quiet, watching the stones and dust swirl around them.

"So we came out of all this?" Donna asked.

"Brilliant, isn't it?" The Doctor said with a nod. "Eventually gravity takes hold. One big rock, heavier than the others, pulls other rocks toward it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in, pulling up until you get …."

"Earth," Donna said with understand.

"I've seen it end," Rose said, shaking her head a little. "And now I'm watching it begin. 'S amazing."

"Well it hasn't started just yet," The Doctor said, and she could feel him shifting a little beneath her. Craning her head, she looked up to see him squinting as he looked at the space around them. "Still need to get that first rock."

"Look." Donna said, pointing.

It didn't take long to spot the star shaped rock slowly moving through space, covered in spider web.

"The Racnoss," The Doctor confirmed. "Hold on," He said, letting go of Rose's hand, darting back inside the TARDIS. "But the Racnoss are hiding from the war," he said from somewhere behind them, "What are they doing?"

Without warning, the dust and rock that had been floating around started to pull toward the ship.

"Exactly what you said," Donna said, and Rose heard the Doctor run up toward them, sensing his proximity to her as he shadow fell over her.

"Oh," He said with genuine surprise. "They didn't bury something, they became the center of the Earth. They are the first rock."

"A bunch of spiders in the center of the Earth," Rose said, holding on to herself. "Worse than Satan, then, yeah?" She asked.

The Doctor chuckled behind her before the TARDIS suddenly started to toss about violently. His arm was around her waist, pulling her away from the open door before she even had a chance to grip the door.

"What was that?" Donna asked, using her grip on the door frame to push herself back in to the safety of the interior.

"Trouble," the Doctor said as he let go of Rose and slammed the TARDIS doors shut. He stumbled his way back over to the controls, and Rose gripped the railing in an effort to keep upright as she attempted to join him.

"What's wrong with her?" She asked him.

"She's being pulled back the same way we escaped." The Doctor explained as he frantically tried to stop it. "Particles pulling particles, they're just doing it in reverse."

"Well can't you stop it? Reverse the warp, or beam, or something?" Donna yelled in a panic.

"Oi, backseat driver." He grumbled, looking around frantically. His face let up. "The extrapolator." He cried with joy as he pulled it out.

"The surf board?" Rose asked, confused.

"It'll give us a bump," He said cheerfully, setting it on the console before looking around it. He grabbed the mallet he often abused the TARDIS with and gave the thing a good whack just as the familiar feel of the ship landing canceled out the rocking. There was another jolt, and the ship landed again.

"Come on," he said, running by and grabbing Rose's hand along the way. He opened the doors, popping his head out before exiting with Rose in tow and Donna on their tail. "We're about 200 yards away." He said, giving Rose's hand a tug and waving for Donna to follow as they started their run, not slowing at all until they reached the familiar door that led to the Thames flood barrier, their segways still parked in the middle of the hall.

"Those would have been convenient," Rose commented as Donna was bent over in an attempt to catch her breath.

"So what do we do now?" Donna asked, panting.

"I'll let you know when I figure it all out." He said, taking out his stethoscope and putting it into his ears.

"Meaning?" Donna asked.

"Meaning he's making it up as he goes." Rose said, leaning against the door. "But don't worry," She said, waving it off. "He's brilliant at it."

The Doctor looked to Rose, clicking his tongue and winking at her, making her blush a little.

"But I'm full of those Huon particles. What for?" Donna asked, crossing her arms.

"Well," The Doctor said, drawing out the word as he moved the stethoscope around the door. Rose, curious, pressed her ear up against it. Closing her eyes in concentration, she could hear something like a hum from pipes echoing through the metal. "There's a Racnoss web in the center of the earth. Their stuck there because the Huon particles, their energy source, was unraveled by my people." He started to explain in his lecture like tone. "They've just been in hibernation since the Earth formed." He continued, but something behind Rose caught her attention. Opening her eyes, she saw the Doctor listening to the door with intense concentration and Donna no longer standing behind him. Turning about, Rose caught a glimpse of Donna's wedding dress being dragged while her feet flailed as she was pulled around a corner.

"Ah, Doctor." Rose said, tugging on his sleeve and ceasing his history lesson. He looked at her with confusion, and she threw her thumb over her shoulder. He looked around them before craning his head in the direction Donna was taken.

"Oh," He groaned. He fidgeted, looking between the hall and the door to the Thames flood barrier. "I had a plan, a brilliant plan, but I can't do it if I go after her."

"So I will," Rose said, starting to head off.

The Doctor caught her hand. "Rose, no, I can't let you do that."

"Why not?" She challenged.

"Because it's dangerous. If the Racnoss has been paying any attention at all then she knows you somehow have those particles in you too. She could try to take them out of you as well, and I'm not sure how well that's going to work out for her since I was pretty sure I had already rid you of them."

"So tell me this brilliant plan of yours and I'll do it while you go after Donna."

"No," He said too quickly, his eyes becoming darker as his features became more tight.

"Doctor, please, let me help." She insisted, squeezing his hand. "You can't keep pushing me aside or sending me off every time it gets a little dangerous. We're a team, yeah? Hope and Glory, Shiver and Shake?" His eyes softened slightly. "I'll go watch over Donna, make sure she's alright until you can put this plan of yours in motion."

The Doctor clenched his jaw once before his whole body relaxed with a huff. He glanced away before looking back into Rose's eyes, the intensity waning a little. "Fine," he relented. "But stay in the shadows, and don't let anyone see you unless it's a life and death emergency, got it?" He asked, pointing at her firmly.

"Yes, sir." She said with a mock salute, turning to leave.

"And Rose," He said, tightening his grip on her hand and pulling her back a moment. She looked at him with exasperation, and he smiled. Before she could ask what he wanted, he leaned forward, placing a firm but chaste kiss on her lips. "Be careful." He said as he let her go.

Speechless, Rose walked backward a couple steps before turning around, heading down the corridor at a quickening pace. She cast a look over her shoulder before she turned the corner, catching him watching her until she was out of sight.

As she neared the lab she slowed her step, making her footfalls softer as to not draw attention to herself. Keeping close to the tubes of bubbling liquid, she strained to listen to what was going on.

"You're supposed to say 'I do'." She heard the creepy spider-alien-thing tease, and Rose ran toward the wall, ducking into the shadows and trying to keep hidden as she scanned the area for Donna.

"No chance," She heard Lance's voice, distant and high up. She quickly found him trapped in the webbing above the pit, Donna beside him.

"Say it!" The Racnoss insisted.

Lance turned to Donna. "I do," he said begrudgingly.

"I do," Donna said with false sweetness. She shook her head, doing a double take in Rose's direction and stared.

There was no way to communicate with her that wouldn't draw attention, though Donna had to be smart enough not to call to her. A second later, Donna turned her head away, but Rose got the sense that she was still looking at her.

Oh what she wouldn't give for a plan, an idea, anything that was more than her staring up at Donna and doing nothing to get this woman out of the situation she found herself in.

"Activate the particles." The Racnoss ordered, and Rose watched as Donna and Lance began to glow.

Lifting her hands, she saw that same glow forming beneath her skin. She backed as far against the wall as she could, heart pounding as it suddenly occurred to her that staying with the Doctor may have been the wiser decision.

"Release!" The Racnoss ordered, and the warmth that had started to build inside Rose grew steadily to a burn.

She shut her eyes tight, clenched her fists, and gritted her teeth in an effort to prevent herself from screaming. Her headache intensified, and she swore her skull was splitting in two. Rose dropped to her knees before her body began to contort, curling into a ball before her back arched and she nearly fell against the wall. The burn tingled to the point of numbing, her chest aching with the strain of holding in a scream. Spots formed behind Roses tightly shut eyes, growing in brightness until all she could see was a golden glow.

" _Rose, what have you done?" Her first Doctor asked, awe and terror in his eyes._

" _I looked into the TARDIS, and the TARDIS looked into me."_

 _Daleks, trying to kill her. Kill_ him.

" _I am the Bad Wold. I create myself."_

" _Rose, you've got to stop this. You're gonna burn."_

Oh, and wasn't she burning. Then and now, the fire inside her blazing as if she had took the vortex inside her once again. To protect her Doctor, and now their friend.

" _Rose, you've done it. Now stop. Just let it go." He pleaded with her._

" _How can I let this go? I bring life." She said, and she felt love go through her. So much love, for the Doctor and for Jack. She had sensed his life force had gone, and she was determined to bring it back. He had to live, they both did, because she felt she couldn't live without them. And she wouldn't._

" _But this is wrong! You can't control life and death."_

" _But I can." She reassured him._

It felt like death was coming for her, trying to pull the life force inside her out with millions of little needles, and the burning force of the Huon particles were stopping it from happening.

" _My head, it's killing me."_

" _I think you need a Doctor."_

His lips had been different then, a touch fuller. His kiss was different, too. Much more hesitant, like he was absolutely certain she would never want it to happen. How could she have forgotten that kiss, their first kiss? How did she forget saving his life, Jack's, her own? How did she forget that wonderful, glorious moment when she was the Bad Wolf, the most powerful woman in the Universe, protector of the man she loves more than anything?

The pain overwhelmed her, and forgetting seemed like the easiest thing in the world as the golden glow faded to a black oblivion.

* * *

 

"Rose," His voice caressed her ear. "Rose," He repeated, his voice a lot louder this time, and she felt herself being lifted and jostled. "Rose, can you hear me?"

"Bad Wolf." She murmured, and she felt him stiffen. He was carrying her, she realized, and she willed an arm to go around his neck.

"What?" He asked, concern in his voice.

"Doctor?" She asked, opening her eyes to see a flash a fear before relief colored his beautiful brown eyes.

"Come on," he said, "We have to go." He turned, with her in his arms, and she looked around.

The Racnoss was screaming as water rushed down into the pit. Fire raged inside as well, the scene completely different from what she last remembered. She was soaked, as was he, and when she spotted Donna on the landing it was clear her wedding dress was ruined.

"I blacked out," She realized aloud as the Doctor carried her up a case of metal stairs, meeting Donna on the landing before continuing higher up. "I can run," She said, shifting in his arms when she realized that they'd all go faster if he didn't have to carry her.

"Are you sure?" The Doctor asked, and Rose nodded.

He set her down on her feet, her sneakers squishing as her body weight pushed water out of her shoes. "Gonna need some new runners," She said as the three of them started to head down a narrow corridor.

"We'll worry about that later," The Doctor said as he lead the way, bringing them over to a ladder. He waved Donna up first, then Rose, and as she climbed she heard him follow behind her.

Cool night air started to caress her heated skin before she even made it to the top of the ladder. Donna disappeared over the top, and a few seconds later Rose joined her. Canon fire filled the air, punctuated by explosions as she turned to help the Doctor up onto the barrier. When he was on his feet, they looked up at the sky where Donna was staring.

A star shaped ship covered in webbing was burning up in the sky as dozens of projectiles hit it from all sides. When it burst into dust, Donna and the Doctor cheered while Rose only smiled. Maybe something terrible happened while she was out, had to have, because the Doctor wasn't normally this happy about genocide. And while giant, creepy spider aliens were not exactly a favorite of Rose's, this was a man who had been known to let Daleks live in the right circumstances.

"Oh," Donna said, "Looks like we drained the Thames."

"Right," The Doctor said, sounding somewhat breathless as he pushed his wet hair off his forehead. "Well then, guess that means we should head back down and get the TARDIS."

* * *

 

They landed across the street from Donna's house, the Doctor somehow managing to get the ship in a parking space. As Donna stepped out on to the street, the Doctor and Rose stayed in the doorway, his arm around her waist as she leaned up against him with her arms folded over her chest.

"Well, this has been a day," Donna said with a heavy sigh. "Missed my wedding, lost my job, and became a widow all in one day, sorta."

"Are you gonna be alright?" Rose asked.

Donna shrugged a shoulder. "Beats me. I mean, bastard deserved what he got. But then, he didn't."

"On the upside," The Doctor said, reaching into his pocket with his free hand and pulling out his sonic. He gave Donna a quick scan, reading the results with a smile. "Yep, particles are gone, no harm done."

"But what about Rose?" She asked, gesturing to the blonde with concern in her eyes.

The Doctor's smiled faded. "Rose is a special case." He said, his hand tightening on her waist. "She wasn't dosed with them like you were."

"I'll be alright." Rose reassured. "You'll be seeing me again."

"Will I?" Donna asked, fear and hope coming through in equal parts.

"You don't ever have to stop seeing us," The Doctor said nonchalantly. "You could always join us."

Donna smiled, "No."

"Okay," The Doctor said, sounding as disappointed as Rose was.

"I can't." Donna added.

"No, it's fine." He reassured.

"No, it's just. Is this what it's always like for you two?" She asked.

"Sometimes," Rose nodded. "But there's also beauty, and wonder. Amazing planets, and people. You could meet people you've only read about."

"And face monsters and danger. No," Donna smiled and shook her head. "I think you run into that most and the thought of having to face that again, well." She shook her head. "It scares me to death."

Rose nodded in understanding. Her mother was the same way, worse probably because she was just a little more set in her way of life.

"Tell you what I will do, though. Christmas Dinner. Come on, mum always makes enough for Twenty."

Rose looked up at the Doctor just as he looked to her for the answer. After a few moments, they turned back to Donna, "We'd love to," He said, "but."

"It's my first Christmas without my mum." Rose said, shouldering the blame. "I haven't slept properly in a very long time, and I just wouldn't be very good company right now."

Donna nodded, smiling in understanding. She then opened her arms, and Rose left the Doctor's side to accept the embrace. "Thank you," Donna said, "for everything. Something tells me he would've been a mess on his own."

"Oi," The Doctor said behind her, and Rose laughed.

"Probably," Rose confirmed as she stepped back, smiling.

"You two take care of each other," Donna said.

"Take care of yourself," Rose said with a nod. "And Merry Christmas."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Merry Christmas." She said with a half smile, waving to the Doctor before turning and heading into the house. Rose returned to the Doctor where he dropped his arm around her shoulders and led her inside.

"Well," He drew out the word as he headed to the console, hitting some buttons and dematerialized the TARDIS. "All in a day. Now, what comes next?" He asked, moving around to look at Rose.

She smiled thinly. "Bed," She said. "Maybe not leave it for a week?"

"Oh, come on," The Doctor said. "Christmas on Earth, we could celebrate anywhere. Want to go to New York? See the Christmas Tree at the Rockefeller center? Stick around to watch the ball drop on New Years Eve? Well, maybe not stick around, Time Machine and all."

"Doctor," Rose said, ceasing his gob.

He looked at her intently, sighing with his body. "Or we could stay right here for a while, float in the Vortex. A new tradition." His eyes lit up, "But maybe," He said as he reached deep into his pockets, "Keep an old tradition?" He asked as he pulled two silver Christmas crackers from his jacket.

Rose looked at them in disbelief, glancing up at him and giggling when he twitched his eyebrows. "Whaddya say? Break these suckers open, dance around the console room in paper crowns to Bing Crosby? Head down to the galley for some rum and Eggnog? Well, eggnog."

Rose shook her head, gratitude, joy, and love all bubbling inside her.

The Doctor grinned a little wider, retrieving his Sonic from his pocket and pointing it off to the side. _White Christmas_ filled the room as he pocketed the device again before offering a hand to Rose.

She took it, forgetting for a moment how exhausted she was as she let him pull her close, allowing herself to let go of all the bad and start a new new tradition, with her new new Doctor.


	4. Beaches, Huons, and Plasma Coils

She laid out on a blanket, shaded from the intense suns by a large umbrella. The bathing suit the TARDIS provided looked like something out of the fifties, but it was pink and adorable, and with the same sunglasses she wore to London in that era Rose felt glamorous. It didn't matter that there was no one else on the secluded patch of sand except the Doctor (who had discarded his jacket, tie, trainers, and socks but nothing else), it only made her feel a little bit like a celebrity hiding away from the paparazzi.

"We should come here more often," She said, shifting a little on the blanket.

"It is nice," He agreed, adjusting how he had himself propped up on his elbows, squinting despite wearing sunglasses himself. "Though we'd have to be careful of the time of year. It's winter right now, or this planet's equivalent of winter. Come here any other time and you would start to burn in seconds."

"So I should bring sunscreen then?" She teased. "Spf 100?"

He grinned. "More like spf a million. Not enough ozone to shield the rays. Which reminds me, you should really re-apply soon."

"I'm shaded." She tried to argue, though Rose could feel the penetrating gaze of the Doctor on her no matter how she tried to ignore it. Sighing, she got up, reaching into the small bag she had off to the side, grabbing the bottle and started coating her skin. "Why aren't you using any?"

"Superior Time Lord physiology," He said evenly. "That, and I'm relatively covered." He said, lifting his arm in gesture.

Rose rolled her eyes as she strained to reach her back.

Without asking, the Doctor scooted over, taking the bottle from her. A moment later his cool hands applied the lotion in quick, fleeting motions as if he was afraid of touching her too long. He handed the bottle back to her and returned to where he had been before, settling back on his elbows as Rose tossed the bottle into her bag.

She laid back down. "Thanks." She said.

"I did promise Jackie I would take care of you," He said as if he was partly distracted. "Allowing you to get a severe sunburn wouldn't be doing that."

Talking about her mum had gotten easier over the last few days, ever since he gave her the chance to say goodbye. Once they had their fill of celebrating Christmas the Doctor went with Rose to her room, laid down with her, and let her fall into a blissful sleep that lasted hours. Twelve, to be exact, and was there when she woke up much to her surprise. From there it was as he promised, where or when ever in space and time she wanted to go was their next destination. Nowhere that would involve running was the first request, the second was some place quiet. It lead to a second visit to Woman Wept, ice skating on the frozen waves, followed by a trip to The Library, which seemed like it should be quiet but having only been unveiled a couple weeks before they arrived it was anything but.

So there they were, on a planet Rose had forgotten the name of, finally fulfilling her request of quiet with the addition of warm. She was feeling like her self again, mostly, and as much as she didn't want to admit it the urge to run was starting to creep up on her again. Rest was fine, but adventure was starting to call to her.

"I was thinking we could go back to London next," She said, catching the Doctor whip his head around to look at her. She turned hers. "Quick stop before we head onto our next adventure."

"Quick stop." The Doctor repeated, looking out to the waves. "Of course."

Rose studied him. "You thought I wanted to go back? As in for good."

"What? No," He lied terribly, "no," he repeated, sounding less convincing. "I mean, yeah, I suppose, for a moment, I thought maybe."

"You daft, old alien. I'm not going anywhere," Rose said with a smile, her tongue peeking out between her teeth. "Not until you get rid of me."

He smirked, his shoulders shaking as if he laughed. She watched as his face fell, before scrunching. "Rose, why did you choose to stay with me?" He asked, half turning toward her. "You could have had a wonderful life, a brilliant life in that other universe. The one adventure I can never have. Be with your family, and Mickey. Why stay with me?"

"Because you shouldn't be alone." She said with ease.

"But now you are." He countered.

She shook her head, smiling. "No, because now we have each other." She replied.

He grinned. "Hope and Glory, Shiver and Shake," He rambled.

"The Oncoming storm and the big, Bad Wolf." She said, looking out at the water.

She could sense him tense up at her input. "About that," He said. "We should really be running tests, find out exactly what those Huon particles are doing in you, or to you for that matter."

"Can't be any real danger to them," Rose shrugged it off, though it was something she wondered about since they returned Donna home. "I've had them in me for over a year and nothing happened."

"They could have been lying dormant, but the Huon's in the Torchwood lab may have activated something in them." He countered.

"I feel fine," She argued back.

"Rose," he said, and she rolled her body to face him properly. "Donna said you were in agony. She said she watched you writhe silently before going limp and dropping. You were hot to the touch when I found you, and it took everything in me not to just take you and run. I had a plan, I had to go through with it, but for a moment …." He didn't have to say it, because even the sunglasses couldn't hide the grief.

"London, then tests." Rose compromised.

"Tests, then London." He countered with an arched brow.

"Fine," Rose said, rolling back and pushing herself up.

"Where are you going?" He asked as she picked up her bag.

"We've been here for two days, you aren't going to back down, and I want chips. Seems like if I wanna get to London anytime soon, we should get inside to the medbay now." She replied before turning and heading into the TARDIS. She heard him behind her, standing up and whipping out the blanket before closing the umbrella. She waited inside on the ramp, holding the door open for him as he carried things inside.

"Right," He said, his voice loud and full of eagerness. "I'll get these back into storage, you go change. Then, Rose Tyler, we are going to learn what's going on inside of you." He said, heading for the corridor, Rose following more slowly behind him.

* * *

 

She sat beside him, staring at the monitor, looking at the results on the screen but didn't understand any of it despite it being written in English. At least, that's what the Doctor said it was, though she wasn't sure she believed him.

He'd been studying it with his glasses on from the second they popped up, his brow knitting more tightly with each passing second.

"That's," He finally said after what felt like an eternity of silence. He shook his head, squinting. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, and grunted. "What?" He said, leaning in to examine a line of text, practically pressing his nose against the monitor.

"Doctor?" Rose said impatiently, anxiety coming to her in waves.

"Yeah?" He said, looking at her. "Right, sorry." He said, turning back to the monitor. "You're right, you're fine. Perfect health, strong heart, good lungs, brain function normal, everything normal. Except."

"Except?" Rose asked, her anxiety growing more steadily.

He took off his glasses as he turned to Rose. "Your cells are dying off at a much slower rate. So slow, in fact, it's like they aren't dying at all. They're … regenerating. Not like regeneration, you won't suddenly turn into someone else, but they're … rewriting themselves instead of dying off to create new ones. Essentially it's slowing down your aging drastically, to the point that it's like you aren't aging at all. Frozen in time, as it were. Aside from that, I can't see anything that's altered."

"So, wha? I'll die at ninety looking sixty?" She asked.

He winced, and she instantly regretted bringing up her mortality. "I'd say, judging from what I've seen, you'll die at a hundred twenty looking forty at worst." He said, sadness in his eyes. "A little longer than most, but I can't see this process delaying your death much longer."

Rose nodded. "Alright, so I can skip the anti-aging cream." She smiled thinly. "And we never have to worry about people thinking you're traveling with your Grandmother." He did snort at that. "But that's it, then? I won't burn up unexpectedly or anything?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Provided that we don't encounter anyone else trying to develop Huon particles." He rubbed his face, but the distant look in his eyes remained. Shoulders slumped, there almost seemed to be a bit of disappointment there.

Rose moved, sitting on his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I've got longer," She said quietly, playing the strands of his hair. "I'll be running with you to the end, you'll see. You won't have to watch me fade."

"No," He agreed reluctantly, "But then I won't see the end coming. We'll be so busy running, and you will barely change, I'll forget. One day you'll be here, the next you won't."

Rose pressed her cheek to his head, breathing in the scent of his hair. "You were hoping for more, weren't you?"

"I don't know." He admitted, shaking his head slightly. "I saw that change in your DNA structure, and I had hoped that maybe … but more time. I can live with more time if that's all I can have." He paused, then cleared his throat. "There's more though." He said, his voice hesitant. "I don't … I don't know if it would matter to you, though. Maybe it does, but."

"Doctor." Rose interrupted.

"You're infertile." He blurted softly. "The changes made, well, it affected that ability too. You may be young for the rest of your life, but ovulation has ceased, and therefore."

"It doesn't matter." Rose said with absolute certainty.

"No?" The Doctor asked.

She craned her head to meet his eye, feeling her cheeks heat before she could say anything. He quirked and eyebrow, intrigue replacing the sorrow and regret. "No," Was all she managed to say with the dry, tightness of her throat. She cleared it, looking away from him as a slightly smug smile came to his lips. "So London, then."

"Oh yes," he said, and she got to her feet so he could stand. "Stop for a quick spell, get some chips, then off to another adventure somewhere in the Universe."

* * *

 

Rose flipped through a newspaper while she sat on bench, waiting for the Doctor to come back. It was a pleasant enough day in early May, with sunshine and a mild breeze so she didn't mind the exposure so much as the boredom. If it hadn't been for some kind soul leaving a newspaper on the bench she chose to wait on she may have started to wander off. There wasn't anything overly interesting happening in England, though apparently the elections were coming up. Not that it mattered to her who ran the country, but all the coverage was taking up valuable news print that may have been filled with something more entertaining.

"Taking an interest in politics are we?" The Doctor asked as he sat down beside her, trading the paper for the steaming order of chips.

"Something to pass the time." Rose said before popping a hot, crispy morsel in her mouth and groaning with pleasure. She leaned towards him, peering at the paper in his hand while he snagged a chip. "Can't help but think this Saxon bloke looks like an ass," She commented, pointing to the man with a smug grin on the page. "I wouldn't vote for him."

"What if he had the best platform to make Great Britain greater?" The Doctor teased with a grin as Rose munched.

"They all lie anyway," She said between bites, pausing to allow him to take another chip.

Rose dropped her head on to his shoulder while they finished their chips. The Doctor seemed distracted with something in the distance, though all Rose could really see was the Royal Hope.

"Rose?" She startled at the familiar voice saying her name, turning sharply to look up at her oldest remaining friend in London.

"Shareen?" Rose said in shock. She didn't really have any intention of running into anyone, hoped she wouldn't, but she supposed it would be inevitable. She set the empty carton down on the seat, barely getting to her feet before the ginger woman squeezed her in a vice-grip hug.

"They said you were dead." Shareen whimpered, and Rose felt her tears against her cheek. "On the news, they were listin' names, 'n' you and your mum, and Mickey're all on there, and I couldn't getta hold of any of ya."

"We're fine," Rose tried to comfort, but Shareen hadn't eased up.

"Where're they then?" She asked.

Rose paused. "Ireland." She said quickly. "Mum met a bloke shortly before the nonsense. Rich, handsome, looks a lot like my Dad did." She said with a grin. "Got along well, she went with him. Mickey, well, he's in Ireland too. Working for some major organization."

Shareen loosened her vice grip, letting Rose step back only to see her narrowed gaze. "Your mum left the Estate. For Ireland. Because of a bloke." Rose shrugged. "Alright, so where have you been?" She asked, gesturing at Rose.

"Traveling." She said.

"Still?" Shareen asked, hand on her hip. "So where is he? Huh? The man your mum said you were traveling with?" She craned her head around Rose, and Rose looked over at the Doctor.

He waved his fingers, smiling at Shareen.

"That 'im?" She asked, pointing to the Doctor.

"Yeah, that's him." Rose said, blushing a little.

Shareen looked back at him for a second. "Not at all how your mum described him. Said he was older, too old for ya, and not much of a looker." She peeked at the Doctor again.

"He is older," Rose pouted. "A lot older than he looks." She added with grin.

"Got room for another?" She asked, continuously looking over Rose's shoulder. "I could do some traveling."

"I'm sorry, Shareen. It is Shareen, isn't it?" The Doctor said, standing by Rose and looping his arm around her waist. "But space is tight, and you need to have your passport, special documents, shots, oh lots of shots against all the … stuff, we encounter. Diseases, deadly toxins, particles and the lot. It just wouldn't be feasible, really."

"Oh, I get it." Shareen said, hands on her hips. "Jimmy Stone all over again."

"Trust me, Shareen." The Doctor said, a hint of rage mixed with the promise in his voice. "I know all about Jimmy Stone, and I promise you I would never hurt Rose or let anyone who tried to get away with it."

Shareen stared him down, trying to match his intimidating stance. "'Kay," she relented, looking to Rose. "Look, I was actually on my way to work. Ya gonna to be around later?"

Rose shook her head. "Probably not, hard to say."

Shareen nodded. "Fine. But don't lose touch." She said, point firmly at Rose.

She just smiled, letting Shareen give her another tight hug before heading down the road.

Rose watched her, huffing out a sigh as she watched her ginger friend disappear. "I can't ever see her again." She said firmly. "And I have to hope she never sees me. If I can't age, won't age, then she can't see me."

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said, putting his hand back on her waist.

"'S alright. Better this way." She said, and she meant it despite the crack in her voice. Taking a deep breath, she turned and smiled at the Doctor. "So what now? Something caught your eye earlier."

"Mmm," He hummed in agreement. "Plasma coils around the hospital. Odd thing, plasma coils, usually used as a way of containment and transport."

"Alright, so?" Rose asked.

"So, Rose Tyler, I'm afraid you shouldn't have eaten all those chips."

"Oh?" She replied, failing to hide her growing smile.

"Oh yes," he said, his own grin growing. "Now you're having terrible stomach pains. Oh," he said, puffing out his cheeks. "Nasty, terrible pains. Probably have to stay the night for observation." He added with a wink.

"Fine," She said, reaching around her back to take his hand off her waist and holding it in hers. "But if all the give me for tea is rubbish you're sneaking something in for me."


	5. Smiths and Jones pt 1

An event that involved her whole family could never take place without each member calling Martha Jones to complain about something. In the case of the calls she just fielded, this time it was about her father's new girlfriend. Not much older than her or her sister, her father's girlfriend had been a bit of thorn in the family's side since she swooped in and caused Martha's father to leave his already crumbling marriage. And Martha was the passive one, the peacekeeper, doing whatever it took to make everyone happy so everyone turned to her. Never mind that she was a medical student with a heavy work load and a residency that had her working strange hours, or that her family life had hindered her social life more often than she would care to admit, they always turned to her.

But no, no she would shake it off, head inside the Royal Hope Hospital, and do something to wow her Attending. Today would be the day that something good would happen, something amazing, something to bring change.

"See," A tall, handsome, sharply dressed bloke said as he stepped in front of her from the flower cart across the street from the hospital. He held out the white rose, showing her. "Oh! Wait, better get one for each of you. Might cause trouble." He said, grabbing another white rose before handing ten quid to the merchant. He then, waved to her. "See you in a moment." He smiled before striding past her. She couldn't help watch him go, even if he didn't turn back as he turned to corner.

Not exactly the exciting thing she would hope for, but it was a start.

But it seemed that that was where the excitement would end. Entering the hospital she was rammed into by some overly aggressive biker type who was likely hopped up on something, prepared for rounds with the usual banter, and had to brace herself against the harsh criticism of Mister Stoker. Aside from an intense electric shock from her locker, nothing new or different took place.

That was, of course, until Mister Stoker pulled back the current for the next bed and Martha's eyes fell not on the patient but the man sitting beside her.

"Rose Smith," Mister Stoker began as she stared down the handsome bloke from the flower cart. His eyes passed over her without a flicker of recognition as he smiled at her and her fellow med students. "Admitted last night with severe stomach pains. How are you today, Ms Smith?" He asked.

"Oh," Rose said, hand resting on her stomach. "Pain wise not too bad but I haven't been able to eat anything. It all makes me feel a little queasy." She said, her face contorting as the flower cart bloke smiled at her with amusement and perhaps a touch of fondness.

"Well then, let's see what they come up with. Miss Jones, if you could?" Mister Stoker stepped aside, and Martha smiled at her.

"Gorgeous flowers he picked out." She commented, glancing around the area and failing to see any flowers at all.

"Sorry?" Rose asked as Martha pressed her abdomen.

Martha looked to the man in the chair. "I'm sorry, were they meant to be a surprise?"

"Were what meant to be a surprise?" He asked, brow furrowing with confusion.

"The flowers." Martha hinted, and he just shook his head slightly. "On Chancery street this morning. You picked up flowers."

"Wasn't me," He said, though there was a light in his eyes that hinted maybe it was.

"You sure?" Martha challenged.

"Positive. Never left Rose's side all night. Well, almost all night. Did have to get up and have a stretch here or there." He rambled.

"Strange, you look exactly like him." Martha said, letting it go.

"Miss Jones, I grow ever more infirm." Mister Stoker sighed, and Martha looked to Rose.

"Yes, sorry. Umm, queasiness, abdominal pain, could you be pregnant?" She asked Rose.

She smiled thinly. "No, I'm unable to have children." She said with an ease that came from a long time acceptance or practice.

"Oh, sorry. Umm," Martha said, trying to think of something else.

Mister Stoker sighed behind her. "Perhaps instead of asking sensitive questions you could have first consulted her chart."

Martha turned as Mister Stoker attempted to retrieve Rose's chart, hindered by a shock visible to the naked eye.

"That happened when I touched my locker," She commented. Other shared similar experiences, though it only caused Mister Stoker further annoyance.

"There's a thunder storm coming in. Lightning is a form of static electricity as proven by?" Mister Stoker asked, looking at his students.

"Benjamin Franklin," The man said, a grin on his face.

"Correct," Mister Stoker replied, seemingly pleased someone knew the answer.

"My mate Ben," He said, a far off look in his eyes. "That was a day and a half."

"Doc… er, John." Rose interrupted him, reaching out and grasping his hand, getting him to look at her. "Not now." She said through her teeth.

John looked at her for a moment, a slight bit dazed before his whole face lit with understanding. "Oh, right yes." He said, clearing his throat and straightening his tie.

"Tests will be ordered for Ms Smith in a little while, and perhaps we can get a light sedative to Mister Smith as he seems to be a touch stressed. Moving on." Mister Stoker waved the medical students along, but it took Martha a moment to follow. She watched the couple watching her, a hint of a smile playing on John's face as he wiggled his fingers in a wave. She smiled back involuntarily, ducking her head before following the others out of the room.

* * *

"It's getting worse," The Doctor said once the medical student were out of sight. "I've been hearing the electric shocks all morning, and if they're becoming that obvious."

"So I take it you didn't find anything when you snooped around last night?" Rose asked, shifting on the bed to turn toward the Doctor. "Or when you went out to change yours suit? And where are these flowers you supposedly got?" She teased with a grin.

"I didn't get you flowers," He said with a furrowed brow. "Though that does create an interesting circular paradox. Why would I do that?"

"Because good husbands get their sick wives flowers." Rose countered, barely containing the laugh.

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Was never a very good husband, me. I've been married a few times, well, not really."

His rambles hit her like a punch in the gut, "The snooping?" Rose asked, no need to suppress any laughter now.

"Right, yes. No, I didn't find anything around the hospital. Not that I could see really. I could do another pass." He rambled, seeming eager to get away suddenly.

"Suppose you could." Rose said, turning to lay on her back again.

"Okay," He said, and she heard him shuffle out of the chair while she trained her eyes on the fluorescent light over head. "I'll be back," He said, and she sensed him hesitating at the door. When he left, she sighed.

Brilliant, just brilliant. She was well aware he had a life long before her, had been married, truly married on Gallifrey. So why did she let herself act so hurt by it?

She pressed the heel of hands into her eyes. "I've got to stop this," She groaned to herself. "It is what it is, we are what we are, and whether I like it or not it's not likely going to change." She huffed, pulling her hands away from her eyes and looking out the window.

Thunder rumbled, but she could see the sky beyond the hospital was clear, perfect. Throwing the blanket off her body she stumbled out of bed, craning her neck to see as much of the sky above the hospital as she could. Dark clouds started to form and swirl, and a knot formed in the pit of her stomach. As she grabbed her jeans and pulled them on, rain started to hit the window in a down pour. Pulling off her hospital gown and pulling on her black sweater, she examined the rain as she pulled her hair back and tied it loosely in a bun.

It was only then she realized it the rain wasn't coming down, it was going _up_ the window.

"What the…" She started to say just as thunder rumbled and the whole building shook. Lights flickered, and even though she grabbed the hospital bed in an attempt to steady her self it rocked and shifted enough that she couldn't keep upright.

"Rose," She heard the Doctor call for her in a panic. Over her shoulder she caught glimpses of him as he came toward her. Pulling her to the ground, he shielded her with his body. Still, it didn't stop her from putting her hands over her head as something crashed to the ground. "It's okay, I've got you." He tried to comfort, but there was a strain in his voice that didn't settle her in the least.

As quickly as it started, the building stopped shaking.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, shifting so he could look at her properly but not moving off of her.

"Yeah, m'alright." Rose replied, nodding.

The Doctor shifted himself off her, getting to his feet and helping her up before straightening his tie while she brushed at her clothes. They turned to the window at the same time, and both froze.

"No," She said, searching for and finding the Doctor's hand instantly, locking their fingers together. "Can't be."

"Oh but we are." He said, a hint of the on coming storm mixed with the wonder in his voice. "We're on the moon."

"All right everyone." They turned in sync toward the familiar voice coming toward them. "Back to bed. We have an emergency but we'll get it sorted out." Martha Jones and one of the other medical students walked past them, and Rose watched as the beautiful young woman walked straight for the window without any hint of fear. "It's real. It's really real," She said, and Rose heard the same wonder in Martha's voice that had been in the Doctor's. As Martha reached for the window, her co-worker shot a hand out to stop her.

"No, don't. We'll lose all the air." The other medical student begged, her hand trembling.

"But they're not exactly air tight," Martha reasoned, and the Doctor gave Rose's hand a tug.

He looked down at her with an arched brow, excitement dancing in his eager brown eyes. He liked her, Rose could tell, and the mystery she presented him earlier with a circular paradox probably wasn't helping. He bounced on his heels, and she rolled her eyes, tilting her head toward Martha and letting go of his hand.

"Good point. Brilliant, actually. What was your name again?" He asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Martha," She said with a charmed grin. Rose snorted a little.

"And it was Jones, wasn't it?" The Doctor asked. Martha nodded. "Well then, the question is, Martha Jones, how are we breathing?"

"We can't be," the other medical student wailed.

"Obviously we are, so don't waste my time." The Doctor snapped.

"Rude." Rose chided, and he flashed her an apologetic glance before turning to Martha.

"Is there balcony or a veranda on this floor?"

"By the patients' lounge, yeah." She said, nodding.

"Fancy going out?" He asked, hands coming behind his back as he rocked on his feet.

"Okay," She replied too quickly.

"We might die." He challenged her in a way that sounded an awful lot like flirting.

"We might not," She said, kind of sounding like she was flirting back.

"Good, come on." The Doctor said, turning around, walking past Rose. He stopped a couple feet away, turning to look at her as Martha paused beside him. "Rose?"

"Oh, you still want me along, do ya now?" She said, arms crossed over her chest.

He visibly swallowed, looking a touch like a deer in headlights as he said, "Of course," in a high pitched voice.

Maybe he did it consciously, but as Martha led them to the balcony the Doctor walked as close to Rose as he could. She managed to keep the threatening smile at bay, his uncertainty at what was going on amusing her more than hurting her at the moment.

They arrived to the doors, and he and Martha pushed them open in sync, him pausing for Rose to join them before heading closer to the railing.

"We've got air. But how?" Martha asked, amazement in her eyes and smile.

Rose did smile at that, because it was quite amazing. And Martha, she had to admit, was pretty level headed considering everything that happened. Enough to enjoy a moment of sheer unbelievability despite the danger. Grudgingly, Rose had to admit it made her like the girl. A little.

"Just be glad we do," The Doctor said thoughtfully, looking all around them as well as down on the moon surface.

"I've got a party tonight." Martha said, looking out over the landscape as Rose came up to the other side of her. "My brother's twenty-first. My mother's going to be really …."

"Right now this is probably all over the news," Rose said as she leaned on the rail. "TV flooded with the story, Radio, everywhere. She knows what's going on, and when you get back she'll just be glad you did." She smiled at Martha.

"If we make it back." Martha said. "I mean, we could die up here, at any minute." She shook her head, looking back out at the landscape. "But all the same it's beautiful."

"You think?" The Doctor asked.

"How many people want to go to the moon? And here we are."

"Second time for some," Rose commented, but Martha didn't seem to be listening.

"What do you think happened?" She asked without looking at either of them.

"What do you think?" The Doctor asked her, and Rose shifted her gaze to meet his, arching a brow. He smirked.

"Alien. It's got to be. I mean, before it would sound mad but after the last couple of years." Martha shook her head, face falling. "A cousin of mine, Adeola, she worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home."

"I'm sorry," The Doctor said, glancing at Rose again with the apology in his eyes.

She smiled weakly before turning away, looking out at the landscape.

"So, Mister Smith, what happened? You and your wife seem to have an idea what's going on. What is it?"

"Well first off, it's not Mister Smith." He said, stepping back and looking over the balcony floor.

"And we're not married." Rose said, getting Martha's attention in full. "My name's Rose Tyler, and that's the Doctor."

"Doctor Smith?" Martha asked.

"Nope, just the Doctor." He said, popping the 'p'.

"What, people call you 'the Doctor'?" She asked with disbelief.

"It's a name, not a title." Rose clarified, only to have Martha look at her incredulously.

"Oh," The Doctor said with enthusiasm, bending down and picking something off the ground. He tossed it once, catching it in his hand before throwing it out toward the surface. It his something before landing, creating a brief flash of light. "Some sort of force field keeping the air in."

"Brilliant," Rose said sarcastically. "Probably not being fed air either."

"Likely not," The Doctor said.

"So this is the only air we've got?" Martha asked, looking between them both. "So what happens when it runs out?"

"Exactly what you think happens." Rose said, her jaw tightening. "All these people, innocent people. But why?" She turned to the Doctor, hoping he'd have some kind of clue or could shed light on the situation with experience from his past. Instead his eyes were trained above them, his mouth in a line, body rigid.

"You could ask them yourself." He said, and Rose looked up in time to watch a trio of ships land a little ways away from the edge of the forcefield. Lines of beings too big to be human marched toward the hospital in the direction the front doors would be.

"Aliens," Martha said with awe. "Real, proper aliens."

Rose turned to the Doctor. "Proper aliens," She mouthed with a thoughtful smirk.

The Doctor shook his head, trying to not to show his amusement, clearing his throat before turning away. "Come on," He said, gesturing with his head "We should head inside, see if we can learn what they're looking for."

* * *

Hidden behind some plants on a terrace above the ground floor, Rose, the Doctor, and Martha watched the Rhino-like aliens as they shone a blue light over each individual they encountered.

"It looks like they're scanning them for somethin'." Rose said, stretching to get a better look.

"What makes you say that?" Martha asked. "They could just be doing an exam."

"No," Rose shook her head. "Trust me, they're scanning them. I can hear the hum."

"Oh look, a little shop." The Doctor said quite suddenly, glee in his eyes. "I love a little shop."

"The shop's not gonna help us." Rose reminded him.

"Quite right. So, Judoon. Why are the Judoon investigating?" He asked himself aloud.

"What are Judoon?" Martha asked.

"Galactic police. Well, police for hire." He said, tilting his head from side to side.

"Like mercenaries?" Rose asked.

"More like thugs." The Doctor said, watching the platoon intensely.

"And they brought us to the moon?" Martha asked, confusion growing.

"Neutral territory," The Doctor explained. "According to galactic law they have no jurisdiction over Earth. Brought us here using an H20 scoop, that's what all the rain and lightning was."

Martha snickered, shaking her head. "Alright, sure. But if they're police, are we under arrest?"

"No, but good thinking." The Doctor smiled at her. "No, they're making a catalogue. They're looking for someone non-human and that is very bad news for me."

"Why?" Martha asked, and he arched an eyebrow. "Oh you're kidding." She turned to Rose. "He's kidding, right?"

"Do you really believe that hair is human?" Rose asked, cracking a grin and trying to ease Martha into the idea.

The med student shook her head, making an obvious effort to watch the Judoon below.

"Wait, you're a student, so this is a learning hospital. Must have some kind of research lab for you to study in, access patient records. Where would that be?" The Doctor asked, a light coming on his eyes.

"Up a couple floors, why?" Martha asked.

"I need a computer to see if I can figure out what the Judoon are looking for. Can you show me?"

"Of course." Martha said.

"What would you like me to do?" Rose asked as Martha and the Doctor shifted to get to their feet.

"Come with me," The Doctor said without hesitation.

Rose paused, looking between Martha and the Doctor. "It's all technical and medical stuff," She tried to reason. "I'd only be in the way. Tell me what I can do to be useful."

The Doctor came back, kneeling down and taking her hand. "Being where I know you're safe, that is useful." He said low enough for only Rose to hear.

"I'm not some damsel in distress that needs saving and protecting." She growled back quietly.

"I know you're not," He said quietly, tone affectionate but expression stern. "But the Judoon are brutes, and while I'm sure your unique condition won't come up immediately the fact that there are traces of me all over you may make them scan a little deeper. Until I know what they're looking for I can't risk you facing them on your own."

Rose stared him down, searching his eyes and finding only sincerity in them. Sighing, she allowed him to pull her to her feet, clutching her hand as he pulled her along behind him.

"Lead the way, Martha Jones," He said, and Martha gave him a nod before leading them to the stairs.

The research lab was empty, allowing the Doctor to dive for the nearest computer without needing to worry about people seeing what he was up to. Martha peeked out the door as the Doctor typed furiously.

"Should we check to see what's going on our there?" She asked.

"I can do that," Rose volunteered.

"Rose," The Doctor said with exasperation.

"I won't get caught, promise." She said. "An' no offense to Martha but I have a lil more experience in dealing with aliens."

"Stay in the stairwell, then." He replied, his frustration with everything plain in his voice. His shoulders were stiff before he plopped down hard in the chair, muttering something to himself.

Rose wasn't even out the door before she heard the whir of the sonic, and the start of Martha's inevitable questions.

She kept her word to him, surprising even herself as she had no desire to go and confront those obnoxious rhinos. She observed them, taking in how they marked each person with an 'x' after flashing the light on their mouths. She sucked in her lips, somewhat understanding the Doctor's original concern. Perhaps not the spot that's had the most contact with him, but it happens. Not to mention her terrible habit of biting her thumb and how often the two of them hold hands.

Their gravelly voice alerted her that they were moving, and she darted up the stairs, standing near the door to the level the Doctor and Martha were on. She held her breath, tensing as the heavy foot falls of the Judoon echoed in the small space before fading. Daring a glimpse, she caught them heading to the level two floors below. Letting out her breath slowly, Rose threw open the door and ran for the research lab.

"They're on the third floor," She announced to the Doctor's back, glancing around the room. "Where's Martha?"

"Off to ask her attending if he knows anything." The Doctor grumbled.

Rose moved to stand beside him, putting her arm around his shoulders as she noticed the screen before him was clear of information.

"Didn't find anything?"

"No." He said, sighing, pulling at his already wild hair. "Judoon wiped the records, and we're running out of time to figure this out."

"We will," Rose reassured. He peered up at her, and she smiled encouragingly.

He sighed, relaxing a bit. "How do we keep getting ourselves into these situations?"

"Well we wouldn't be us if we didn't." Rose teased, smiling with her tongue between her teeth.

"You're right about that," He mused.

The door behind them flew open, and Rose and the Doctor turned sharply toward it.

"I found her," Martha said, a touch of fear in her voice.

"You what?" The Doctor asked, bolting up from the chair and heading toward her with Rose at his side. His eyes widened, and his hand found hers. "Run," He said, grabbing Martha's hand as well and pulling them down the hall. He yanked them into the stairwell, checking over his shoulder.

"Doctor," Rose warned as she saw the door open and the Judoon coming out.

"This way," He warned before pulling the door to the fourth floor open and running into the hallway. They continued to run until the Doctor pulled them sharply in to a room before slamming the door and locking it with his sonic.

"Martha, when I say 'now', push the button." He instructed over the banging on the door.

"I don't know which one," She said as Rose looked around and recognized the room from previous experiences she'd rather not think about.

"Find out!" He yelled, darting to the x-ray machine and sonicing in places.

Rose darted behind the radiation barrier with Martha as the latter started flipping through a book. She stopped, comparing something on the page with something on the panel, a smile coming to her face just as the door fell to the floor and a being clad like a biker strode toward the Doctor.

"Now," The Doctor commanded, and Martha slammed her hand down on a big yellow button.

Rose gasped as she watched the biker clad creature twitch and contort while the Doctor stood perfectly unperturbed. The creature fell to the ground, and the Doctor looked at them over his shoulder.

"You two can come out now." He said.

Rose and Martha looked at one another, neither eager to be the first to step out. Cautiously, they left the safety of the barrier together.

"What did you do?" Martha asked, looking as if she wanted to kneel down and check on the creature and was fighting the instinct.

"Increased the radiation to five thousand percent. Killed him."

"Five thousand percent?" Rose yelled at him. "What were ya thinking?"

"It's only radiation," He said as if it wasn't at all life threatening. "We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery. I mean I absorbed it, that's why you two are alright I just need to expel it." He said as he began to hope around on his right foot, shaking his left. "Just hand to concentrate." He mumbled before suddenly making a bunch of noises as if he was handling a hot plate. His hopping and shaking got worse until finally he carefully removed his left shoe, sock and all, and dropped it into the hazardous waste bin. "There." He said with a grin.

"You're completely mad," Martha said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You're right, I look daft with one shoe." He said, taking off his other shoe and sock before tossing it into the bin. His grin became manic. "Barefoot on the moon."

"Everything that comes through this hospital, and you're walking around barefoot." Rose crossed her arms, gesturing down at his feet.

"Perfectly fine. Nothing here that would affect me anyway." He replied, rolling on his heels and wiggling his toes.

"So what was the that thing?" Martha asked, pointing to the leather clad body.

"A slab. Basic slave drone. Solid leather all the way through." He said, getting down on one knee and tapping the chest of the dead slab.

"It came with the woman I saw, Miss Finnegan. It was working for her." Martha said, sounding exactly like those students who were so eager to please the teacher.

The Doctor didn't seem to be listening as he stood, turning to the machine and pulling out a charred looking instrument.

Rose studied it, eyes bulging. "Is-is that?"

"My sonic screwdriver." The Doctor said with a whine.

"Doctor," Martha partially yelled, and he turned toward her with a grin, tossing the destroyed sonic over his shoulder.

"You called me Doctor." He said.

Martha grinned bashfully for just a second before she shook her head. "Anyway, Miss Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mister Stoker's blood. With a straw." She said.

"Funny time to take a snack," The Doctor said and Rose shuddered all while suppressing a gag. "You'd think she'd be hiding. Unless, no. Yes, that's it. Yes, a shape-changer. An internal shape-changer. She wasn't drinking the blood, she was assimilating it." He started pacing. "If she can assimilate Mister Stoker's blood, mimic the morphology, she can register as human. We've got to find her and show the Judoon." He said, bolting toward the door.

"How?" Rose called after him, slowly catching up to his sprint.

"No idea," He said as if he had a slight idea, or at least one forming.

She stopped, understanding in an instant exactly how he was planning on showing them. Her heart hammered in her chest from the running, but also from panic. The man was thick sometimes, really and truly thick. Her hand went to her hair, pushing the loose strands away, willing herself to think of something.

"Rose, what are you doing?" The Doctor called to her down the hall, having finally realized she wasn't with him any longer.

"Go on," She called back to him. "Go find her, get your plan sorted. I'll find you."

"Where are you going?" He called back.

She didn't answer. Instead, she turned and ran in the opposite direction with a plan of her own forming.


	6. Smiths and Jones pt 2

"So what's the deal with you and Rose?" Martha asked not long after the blonde left. It was a question that had, despite everything going on, been nagging in the back of her mind. Not married, that's what Rose said, but there was a hint of something else going on there she thought. Just in they way they spoke, though that didn't mean anything other than they knew each other very well.

"Humans," He mused, shaking his head. "Stuck on a moon running out of air with a bloodsucking criminal, and you're asking about the status of a relationship."

"Well forgive me for wanting to distract my mind a moment, what with nearly being discovered by another one of those leather drones, and the possibility of my dying on the moon." Martha said with a grin. "And I'm still not convinced you aren't human." She added as they rounded a corner to come face to face with one of the Judoon.

A blue light immediately hit the Doctor's face. "Non-human," The Judoon said, putting the scanner in its holster as it reached for the gun in the other.

"Oh my god, you're not." Martha said with utter disbelief.

The Doctor snatched her hand, "And again," He said, pulling her along.

It was not the best time to really take in how his hand felt around hers, but it was pleasant. Cooler than her own, she supposed that it was because he was alien and not poor circulation like she considered earlier.

The Doctor turned and pulled them through a door and up a set of stairs, pulling her through the next door and locking it behind her.

Martha threw her back against the wall, willing her breath to ease and her heart rate to slow. Her eyes scanned the room, realizing she was on the same floor as Mister Stoker's office. She also noted how most everyone on the floor looked to be in terrible shape. Some had oxygen masks, but most didn't.

"How much oxygen is there?" She asked one of her colleagues as she got down on her knees beside her.

"Not enough for all these people," She said, the look of defeat in her eyes saying what Martha already knew: they were running out.

"How are you holding up?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm running on adrenaline," Martha smiled.

"Welcome to my world," He said with a smirk, and she smiled wider.

"What about you?" She asked, "Or the Judoon?"

"Great big lung reserves, them. And me, my respiratory bypass will kick in, buy me a little longer though …." He trailed off. "Where's mister Stoker's office?" He asked, getting them back on track.

"It's this way," She pointed to the corridor to the right. "Just around the corner."

"Allons-y." He said, taking her hand as she lead them around the corner.

He must do that with everyone, has to. It certainly can't be a sign of anything.

She sobered her silly way of thinking when the entered Mister Stoker's office and the only thing inside was the cold, grey body of her attending.

"She's gone." Martha said, kneeling down by poor Mister Stoker. He may have been a cranky old man, but he didn't deserve this.

"Drained him dry. I was right, she's a plasmavore."

"What was she doing on Earth?" Martha asked as she slid the lids of Mister Stoker's eyes shut.

"Hiding. But the question now is, what to do? I had a plan, maybe not a brilliant plan, but a plan nonetheless. If she's assimilated as human than she likely would have already come across the Judoon, got scanned, has been marked. She's got to know that if they don't find her, or me as it stands now, than they're going to execute the entire hospital."

"Execute?" Martha asked with disbelief, but the Doctor kept plowing on.

"So what happens now? Can't go anywhere, the only way off the moon is this hospital or on a Judoon ship. Can't stay in the hospital, the Judoon's going to kill everyone. The Judoon ship would mean arrest unless…" He smacked himself on the forehead, stepping out into the hall. He looked around, spotting something. "Oh she's clever, almost as clever as me." He said with a manic grin.

A murmur of fear echoed down the hall behind them, and the Doctor whipped around as the Judoon could be heard.

"Stay here," He said to Martha, gripping her arms. "You're going to have to hold them up."

"How do I do that?" She asked.

His hands gripped on her arms, and he looked around with a touch of panic in his eyes, or maybe something else. He groaned. "Why did Rose have to take off?" He cursed.

"Why? What do I need to do?" She asked, wondering what Rose could do that she couldn't.

He huffed. "This means nothing," he said firmly. "Honestly, nothing."

Before she could ask what he meant, the Doctor pulled her toward him and pressed his lips roughly to hers, his mouth open ever so slightly.

An alien was kissing her, quite passionately she might add. More passionately than any man had as of late, and she was partly ashamed at how it made her knees weak. Or by how badly she kind of wanted to grab his head and pull him closer.

But it was over before it really began, and he took off down the hall in the opposite direction of the Judoon.

"That was nothing?" Martha asked, breathless in the best way as she still felt the thrum of excitement tingle through her.

She still wasn't entirely certain she understood how that was going to buy him more time, but she would certainly do it again if he needed it. Anytime.

The heavy footsteps of the Judoon came around the corner, and she snapped out of her revere to turn and face them head on. It lifted its scanner, shining the blue light over her face, mostly around her mouth.

"Human. With non-human traits suspected." He scanned her further. "Non-human element confirmed, authorize full scan." It looked he r dead in the eye. "What are you, what are you?"

"I'm human, but I know who you're looking for." Martha said as another Judoon came up to her, scanning her as well. "A woman who calls herself Florence."

Something in the Judoon's placid expression shifted slightly, barely noticeable but it happened, she was sure.

"Scan complete. Confirmed: human. Traces of facial contact with non-human. Continue the search." It instructed before handing Martha a slip of paper. "You will need this."

"What's that for? She asked.

"Compensation." It replied.

"You don't have to compensate me, just listen to me. She's an old woman, and she is on this floor somewhere." She firmly told the Judoon. "The man you scanned earlier, the one that came up as non-human, he went after her. Please you have to listen."

But it didn't seem as though it did, simply moving on from Martha and continuing its scan with the other Judoon, going room by room.

With a huff, Martha followed them.

* * *

Rose made her way back down a flight of stairs after leaving the Doctor and Martha, moving as fast as she dared. Determined to be ready to save the alien git's ass when he'd inevitably put his life in danger, she scored the floor to try and find the one thing that could buy her a little extra time to do just that: oxygen. There had to be portable tanks around the hospital, and while going all the way down to emergency would be too risky searching the floors nearest to where the Doctor wasn't. Of course, she also had no idea what she would do if she couldn't find any.

Forcing herself to relax, she moved room to room, station to station, peeking inside but only investigating if she thought it could be an option. There was at least hope when she noted some of the more feeble patients with portable tanks, though it also caused a ripple of guilt. Who would she end up taking the valuable oxygen from in the end?

"Ah!" She startled as she left the room and nearly ran into a Jadoon. He stopped, unphased by her or her yelp, and scanned her. He stared at the results for much longer than they usually did, scrutinizing it.

"Human." It said, taking her hand and putting a black mark on it before stepping past her.

"It's been spotted." Rose said to it over her shoulder, and it stopped. "Someone saw it drinking blood upstairs on another level." She continued when it seemed to be listening. "You're looking for a woman."

It never said anything, but there was understanding in it's eyes before it stepped away.

Rose took a second, breathing as deeply as she dared, calming her nerves before she continued. But as she took that moment of respite she watched something a little … odd. An older woman wasn't reacting quite the same way as the other patients were. She looked scared, but only that: looked. As if it were an act. And as she scanned human and marked with an 'X' her eyes smiled before it reached her lips. She studied that mark on her hand like one would admire a diamond ring, and then continued toward the stairs. She walked past Rose as if she weren't there, and as much as she wanted to grab the woman and force her back toward the Judoon she knew in her gut she couldn't. Not yet. Not until the Doctor did his part, as foolish and mad as she knew it was.

She did, however, let the woman slip into the stairwell before she followed after her. Opening the door, she peeked up, seeing if she could spot which level the suspicious lady went to. Two floors up.

Shortly after the door above her closed, one below her opened. Peering down over the rail, she spotted one of the med students from Martha's group cowering in the corner while pressing an oxygen mask to his face. The tank itself was small, hand held, and likely swiped from the hospital pharmacy.

She bolted down the stairs.

"'Scuse me," Rose said, putting on as much panic as she could. "Please, my husband. He's upstairs and he's having such a hard time breathing." She said, pointing upward.

"We all are," He said, his voice muffled with the mask. "We're loosing air."

"But he's a patient, and a good man. He's very old, and really needs it."

The med student snorted. "Well if he's that old I'm sure you won't be too heartbroken if he passes on. Likely leave you something nice to live off of."

Rose narrowed her gaze, tightened her jaw. "You're a Doctor," She reminded him. "You took an oath to save lives. Right now, you aren't doing that."

"Listen, Lady, I'm sure your husband is-"

_Crack!_

Normally Tyler women slapped, not punched, but this arrogant bastard was asking for it. Shaking off the incredible pain in her fist, Rose hopped around for a few seconds as she restrained herself from yelling profanity and calling attention to herself and the med student she just knocked out.

Taking the mask off his face and grabbing the tank, she checked the gage as she headed up to the floor where the woman went. There wasn't all that much in the tank according to what she was reading. Better save it for now. Making sure the valve as closed tight, she gripped the mask and tank as tight as she could pushed through the door.

The hum of electricity drew her attention, and she weaved her way down the hall, reading the signs above and cringing more and more as it got louder the closer she got. She spotted some Judoon coming from the opposite end of the hall, Martha following behind.

And no Doctor.

"Guess that means he's bloody gone and done it," She mumbled, opening the valve of oxygen just a bit, getting the smallest amount flowing. She put the mask over her mouth as she dashed down the hall.

Rose came up behind the Judoon, lowering the oxygen as she peeked around them.

"No, he can't be. Let me through." Martha said as she was pushing her way through them at the same time Rose spotted the Doctor laying on the floor, unconscious.

Rose pushed through them as well as one of the Judoon said the case was closed.

"But it was her, she killed him, she did it." Martha pleaded, and it was then that Rose noticed the woman standing by the sparking machine. The same woman she had saw earlier look all too pleased with her black mark.

"The Judoon have no authority of human crime," One said.

"She's not human." Rose said, shifting the mask into the same hand as the tank and grabbing the Judoon scanner, pointing it at the woman.

"Scan all you like," She taunted.

The scanner beeped, and the Judoon peeked at the results over Rose's shoulder. It's hot breath caressed her skin in a way that made her want to shudder but she held firm. "Non-human." He stated.

"What?" The old woman gasped.

"Confirm analysis," The Judoon commanded as the woman stood stunned.

"You drank his blood, the Doctor's blood." Martha said, beaming.

Rose gave the scanner back to the Judoon and pressed the oxygen mask to her mouth, opening the valve a little more and moving swiftly to the Doctor, kneeling down beside him.

"Confirmed: Plasmavore." The Judoon said as Rose checked the Doctor's pulse and found none.

She inhaled sharply, drowning out all that was going on around her as she closed her eyes and concentrated. Henricks offered a paid first aid course shortly after she started working there. The training wasn't mandatory but at the time Rose had really wanted something, an ipod, or new phone, she couldn't remember what. All that mattered to her was that it would give her a few extra quid to spend and she didn't have to waste valuable time with Mickey to do it as it took place at the same time he was at work.

Taking a deep breath of oxygen, she pulled the mask aside before plugging the Doctor's nose while tilting his head back. She pushed her breath into his lungs, then proceeded to do compressions to the best of her memory, five on each side.

"What are you doing?" Martha demanded.

"Trying to save his life." Rose growled back.

"You're doing it wrong." Martha snapped. "You don't push both sides."

"He's got two hearts." Rose yelled back as a wave of dizziness came over her.

Martha took over, hesitating before starting the compressions on his right side. As she did her second round of compressions, Rose stumbled over to her, pressing the mask to her face to give the Martha the extra push. She glanced at Rose thankfully before moving her head away to give the Doctor another breath.

He took in a deep breath, started to cough, and Martha collapsed to the ground as Rose put the mask over the Doctor's mouth. He looked at her with a smile in his eyes before rolling his head toward Martha.

"She did something to the scanner," Martha said, coughing.

The Doctor got up, crawling at first before stumbling to the machine. It was the last thing Rose saw before her eyes fluttered shut.

* * *

"Rose," The Doctor's voice stirred her as she became aware of his thumbs brushing her cheeks. "Rose, wake up."

"Idiot," She mumbled as her eyes opened. His face came into focus first, the underside of the stairs over head easier to see after a moment.

"Sorry?" He said after a breath, the caressing of her cheeks ceasing.

"Idiot," She repeated, her head pounding for a moment before slowly easing up. "Lettin' her drink your blood like that."

He blinked at her, taken aback. "How… how did you?"

"Bloodsucking alien and you feel the need to _show_ the Judoon what she is? Not hard to figure out with you." She said, sitting up, only now realizing she had been laying with her head in his lap. He gave her a nudge up. "And you call me jeopardy friendly."

"So you knew … and you didn't try to stop me?" He asked, getting to his feet before helping her up, confusion marring his features.

"Knew it'd be pointless." She admitted. "What with your trying to be so impressive, and all." She teased with a smile, though not quite the one he loved so much.

He grinned, "I am so impressive." He said. "And it worked, didn't it?"

"Almost got ya killed," She reminded him as he lead her by the hand down the stairs.

"Yeah, but you were there to save me." He smiled a little wider, stopping as they hit the lobby level.

Rose shrugged. "Martha did that, really. I was probably buggering up the CPR, even with your two hearts. Probably would have been smarter to just, I dunno, have told her that to do 'stead of trying to be the hero."

The Doctor put a hand on her waist, bringing her a little closer. "What were you doing when you took off?" He asked.

Rose shrugged, looking at the floor between them. "Runnin' outta air, figured even with your superior physiology you'd do something that would require Martha to swoop in. I knew one or both of ya would need oxygen, and since we were running out."

"You got the tank." He said with understanding. Rose shrugged again, brushing her hair behind her ear, fiddling with her earlobe in the absence of her hoop earing. "Rose," he said, tilting her head up so she could see the pride in his eyes. "You gave Martha a means to save me. A way to jump start me so I could stop the MRI machine. You're brilliant." She snorted. "No, really, you are. We could have gotten by with out it, but it would have been close and Martha … Martha wouldn't have been up as quick as she was when we got air again. She was one of the first to wake up, and she was able to spring up and help where she could because of you."

Rose could only nod.

"Come on," he said, taking her hand again, "Let's head to the TARDIS."

He lead her out of the hospital, smiling and waving at someone as they moved through the crowd. Rose turned to see Martha smiling, biting her lip, looking after him.

Inside the TARDIS the buzz of people and emergency vehicles were blissfully drowned out. The ship felt cooler, and Rose figured that not only was the Old Girl pumping more oxygen into the air, but made it refreshing enough to encourage deep breaths. Rose stroked a coral strut as the Doctor disappeared down the corridor. Rose leaned against the rail, closing her eyes and taking in deep breaths. The headache she woke with was completely gone when she heard the Doctor's footsteps enter the room.

He grinned at her when she opened her eyes, and she noticed he had new trainers and was back in his pin-stripped suit. He moved to the control panel, dematerilzing the TARDIS.

"You know," He said slowly, drawing out the words. "Martha was pretty brilliant in there too," He said, sitting down in the jump seat, putting his feet on the edge of the control panel. "Maybe we can give her a trip."

Rose's eyes fell on his for a second before she had to look away, the hope and anticipation he had making it difficult to really look at him. "I suppose." She said.

"Well, I mean, she did save my life, and in turn your life, and the lives of billions. I think that deserves a quick trip."

"Yeah," Rose said, petting the coral. The TARDIS hummed comfortingly in the back of her mind. She could feel the Doctor's eyes on her, watching her.

"Alright then." He said, standing and heading to the console. He leaned over the keyboard, typing. "She said she was going to a party. A quick search and… this is where she'll be." He said, putting in coordinates, hitting a button before looking over at Rose and holding her eye as the TARDIS rocked gently before landing with a light shudder.

He strolled toward her, hands in his pockets until he was close enough to take her in his arms. He studied her face intently while she tried to keep it as neutral as possible. The Doctor leaned in, hesitantly, then placed a kiss on her lips. Light at first, he deepened it a little more as the seconds past, never letting it get to be too intense as he kept them just over the line of chaste. He pulled back. "I had to kiss Martha earlier." He admitted.

Rose's heart dropped. "Had to?"

"Well, had to make the Judoon question her humanity. You weren't there, so."

"So because I wasn't there you had to kiss Martha?"

"Yes," he said, though it looked like he was questioning why he brought it up in the first place.

"So you're saying?" Rose asked, leaning back in his arms.

"It meant nothing." He said quickly. "I just wanted to tell you. Be honest with you. It seemed like something I should tell you."

"Yeah." Rose replied, not so sure if it was.

"Was it?" He asked.

"I dunno." Rose admitted.

"Oh," He said, a frown forming. "Because I don't want you to think that … well I mean, if you were to find out some other way."

"Yeah?"

"Well it would … I mean to say that if I found out you kissed someone else for any reason, well I would be."

"You would?" She asked, her pulse increasing and her breathing growing shallower as she forced her self not to smile.

"Terribly." The Doctor said as if it should have all been obvious. "Wouldn't you?"

"Yeah," She replied with an eager nod.

"Oh good," He beamed. "I mean, not good that you're upset," He said with a shake of his head, creasing his brow. "Good that you would be, are. Because if you weren't."

Rose laughed, stopping his ramblings. She pulled his head down to press her forehead against his and even though she shut her eyes she just knew he was smiling again.

"One trip," She said. "As a thank you. But no more kissing the new companions, got that?" She said, pulling back and giving him her sternest face.

He grinned cheekily, "Yes ma'am." He said, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "Now, let's go outside and get one Miss Martha Jones."

He snatched up his long coat, shrugging it on before taking Rose by the hand and leaving the TARDIS together.

Rose didn't recognize where they were any more than it was an alley, and likely in the posh end of town judging by how clean it was. She glimpsed high end restaurants and boutique shops on the opposite corner. A neighborhood like this, a certain level of behavior would be expected, which is why the arguing coming from around the corner took her aback. It was the kind of scene someone would make on the estate during a nasty break-up or a Friday night bender. One that Rose knew from experience with her Mom may cause Martha some embarrassment, and upon hearing her voice among one of the more calm ones, Rose decided to hang back.

It took the Doctor by surprise when she let go of his hand once they got to the end of the alley. Rose gestured for him to go, and he looked back speculatively before going to the edge of the alley.

She turned, heading back to the TARDIS, leaning against the door, crossing her arms. She watched the Doctor gesture toward her with his head before coming to join her. He leaned against the TARDIS beside her, hands in his pockets, flashing a smile down at her before looking back the entrance of the alley.

A beat later, Martha rounded the corner.

"I went to the moon today." She said with a grin.

"A bit more peaceful down here." The Doctor replied with a smile.

Martha took a couple steps closer. "You never told me who you were."

"The Doctor." He said with a shrug.

"What sort of species? Not every day I get to ask that." She said, taking another step closer.

"I'm a Time Lord." He replied smugly.

"Right, not pompous at all," She said with an eye roll. "And you, Rose? Are you a Time Lord? Er, Lady?"

"No, I'm human." She replied.

"And you just, what?"

"We travel together," Rose said. "And that's actually why we came to find you."

"I thought since you saved my life, well, our lives, maybe you might fancy a trip?" The Doctor said, trying to be nonchalant about it, but Rose could sense how badly he wanted Martha to come with them.

"Into space?" Martha asked in disbelief. "I can't. I've got exams, and things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent. My family's going mad."

"If it helps," The Doctor interrupted. "I can travel in time as well."

Martha's jaw dropped. "Oh come on, now, that's going too far."

A light came on in the Doctor's eyes, and he looked down at Rose with a smile as he pushed himself off the TARDIS. "I'll prove it." He said, putting a hand on Rose's shoulders. "Wait here, I'll be right back." He said, giving her a gentle nudge away from the ship as he opened his doors.

"Better be." Rose said, stepping backward until she was by Martha.

They watched together as the TARDIS disappeared, Rose's heart aching at the sound of the dematerializing and not being on the other side of the doors. As Martha stepped forward, moving her hand around in the spot where the ship had been, Rose held her breath. She counted the seconds until the TARDIS sound returned, the ship re-materializing in front of her.

The second it was fully formed, the doors opened and the Doctor stepped out with a white rose in each hand.

"Oh my God," Martha said as he handed them each one. "But that, I saw you do that this morning. Why didn't you warn me not to go in?"

"Big ol' paradox, that. I go back in time, tell you not to go in, I die in the hospital, can't exactly go back in time and tell you not to go in." He explained as he put his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. "Can't cross established events. Bad things happen. Ask Rose, she has … experience." He said, turning to her with a grin which only grew as she glared at him.

"And that's your spaceship?" Martha asked.

"She's called the TARDIS," Rose said, lightly stroking the petals of her flower.

"She?" Martha asked.

"Time and Relative Dimension in Space." The Doctor said in way of explanation.

"She? Like blokes call their cars?" Martha said as she stepped up to it, running her hand along the exterior.

"She as in she's sentient, and she is a she." Rose retorted, keeping the annoyance out of her voice as best she could.

"It's made of wood." Martha said, turning to the Doctor. "There's not much room. Be a bit," She stopped, looking over at Rose as if she wasn't sure she should keep talking.

The Doctor pushed open the doors. "Take a look." He said with a nod toward it.

Martha stepped in, and the Doctor followed. A second later, he popped his head back out. "Are you coming?"

"Do you want me to?" Rose asked, only partly joking.

He arched a brow, waving her over with his fingers and a grin pulling devilishly at the corner of his mouth. She bit her bottom lip as she jogged toward him, taking his offered hand as he led her inside.

"Where is the crew?" Martha asked as she circled the console.

"Just us." He said, walking Rose up the ramp, dropping her hand to shrug off his long coat before tossing it over the rail. "Well, I say us but I'm the driver."

"So she's your …?"

"She's right here." Rose reminded her, pleased that Martha looked chastised. "And if you want to know my place on this ship you can ask me directly."

"Oi, rude." The Doctor said, flashing her a frown.

"No, she's right," Martha waved it off. "Sorry," She said to Rose, looking her in the eye. "Truly. I guess, out of the two of you, I spoke to him more. Just a habit from the day I guess."

Rose nodded once, accepting the apology, offering a bit of a grin.

"Okay," The Doctor said, a hint of nervousness in his tone. "Well then. We'll close down the gravitic anomalizer, fire up the helmic regulator," He said as he went around flipping switched and pumping handles. "And finally, the hand brake." He said with a flick of the wrist. He looked between the two women. "Ready?"

"No," Martha admitted, and he smiled.

"Better grab hold of something," Rose warned with a grin as she moved to the console panel and held on to the edge.

"Off we go," The Doctor said, a manic grin forming as he hit a button and sent the TARDIS into the vortex.


	7. Shakespeare Code pt 1

"So, where do you want to go first? Forward or backward?" The Doctor asked Martha.

"Do backward," Rose said immediately, a grin pulling at her lips. "I said forward and he took me to the end of the world."

"Yet I seem to remember when I took you to the past you were knocked out, kidnapped, and nearly killed by the gelth." The Doctor mused. "All that happened at the end of the world was nearly being killed by a, what did you call her? A bitchy trampoline?"

"Yeah," Rose said, trying to avoid the burning gaze she felt on the side of her face. Eventually she couldn't help but meet Martha's wide eyed gaze. "Don't worry, it's not always near death, Earth ending adventures."

"No, it's fine." Martha said quickly. "Umm, well, surprise me then." She smiled at the Doctor, shrugging slightly. "Pick an adventure."

"Alright then," The Doctor grinned manically. "Let's see, Rose's first past adventure was with … oh, oh I know who we should see." He said, his started entering controls. "Here we go, off to 1599." He announced, jumping around the controls. The TARDIS shook.

"Blimey, do you need to take a test to fly this thing?" Martha asked, clinging to the console.

"Yep, and I failed." He confessed before shooting Rose a warning look. "Don't you dare comment, missy." He said firmly.

Rose's mouth twisted around as she barely managed to contain her smile. "Once we land we should head to the wardrobe." Rose said, turning to Martha in an effort to sober.

"Why would you need to do that?" The Doctor asked, a whine to his voice as his face scrunched in confusion.

"'Cause the last time you took me into the past I was accused of running around naked." Rose reminded him as the TARDIS shuddered to a stop. She let go of the console and started walking backwards. "This time we're liable to be accused of dressing like men." She glanced over Martha, taking in her thin-strapped tank top. She didn't dare say it, what with some of the things she'd been known to wear, but Martha would still probably be considered indecent on top of the cross dressing.

"Okay, fine." The Doctor relented with a sigh. "But don't take too long." He warned.

"Follow me," Rose said, gesturing down the hall with her head, pausing as Martha seemed to debate whether she should actually go with her. After an encouraging nod from the Doctor, their new companion complied.

Rose led her down the twisted corridor.

"It's huge in here," Martha noted, and Rose looked over her shoulder to see the other woman looking around at everything with wide eyed wonder.

"You've no idea." Rose said. "The TARDIS has been known to rearrange rooms to make them easier to find, or more difficult in some cases. The wardrobe, however, rarely moves, although," She stopped in front of a door, pressing her back against it and smiling cheekily at Martha. "The TARDIS's been kind enough to create a short cut for me that the Doctor doesn't know 'bout yet." She put her hand on the latch and opened the door, back pressed against the oak as she allowed Martha an unobstructed view of the multi-level room.

"This is ridiculous." Martha laughed as she walked in, hands covering her mouth. "What could one alien need with all this?"

"He, ah, tends to change things up on occasion," Rose said, biting her lip as she thought of her previous Doctor. "Plus companions, you know. Our clothing isn't always the most appropriate for the places we go, such as traveling to 1599."

Martha nodded, seeming to accept this as she moved toward a staircase. Oddly enough it was the right way for the era, and Rose followed.

"Probably best not to pick anything too extravagant. Never know what might happen and the heavy dresses are harder to move in," She advised as she noted a dress that stood out from the others as Martha walked by. Rose touched material of the white sleeve. It was silk like in texture, though appeared to be linen. She removed it from the rack, taking in the muted gold coloring of the corset like bodice and simple long skirt.

"What about this?" Martha asked as she held out a dress similar in style, though the neckline was squared instead of off the shoulder. It was all burgundy, like the leather jacket she had worn to her brother's party.

"That will work." Rose said stepping behind a changing screen. She threw her jeans and jumper over the top of the screen, sliding the straps of her bra off her shoulders, looping her arm out and tucking them into the band. The bodice may be prepared to do wonders in keeping things in place, but she remembered what it was like running in Cardiff all that time ago while relying on century relevant undergarments. After wrangling the dress on, changing her trainers to flats in case anyone noticed her feet, Rose stepped out and spotted Martha smoothing out the skirt of her dress in front of a mirror.

"Does it look alright?" She asked with a nervous smile.

"You look lovely," Rose said, coming up to Martha and noting just how much more elegant the tall, thin woman looked in comparison to her. "Come on, we shouldn't keep the Doctor waiting." She added quickly, lifting her skirt and leading Martha out through the door they came through. Rose was pleasantly surprised to find the TARDIS brought the door to the front of the hall, and she waved for Martha to go first.

"Oh don't you look lovely," The Doctor echoed Rose's sentiment, though it was a couple seconds later that she saw the wide grin that accompanied the praise.

"For a human?" Rose ribbed as she joined them in the console room.

"Now, come on." He said, glancing quickly at her then doing a double take. His grin fell into something a little different, though equally appreciative. "I wasn't really … that is to say when I said that."

"Shouldn't you change?" Martha asked, and he looked relieved to have the distraction.

"No, never change. Well, not never, just not often. Anyway, go ahead Martha, have a look." He said, waving her toward the doors. He grabbed his coat and shrugged it on as he followed the eager traveler out the door.

Rose moved a little more slowly, giving Martha the chance to enjoy the experience of stepping out into a new time without an experienced companion possibly being less than thrilled.

As she opened the TARDIS door a little more, she saw the Doctor pulling Martha back toward him just before something splattered on the ground a few feet away from where Martha had just been.

"Before toilets were common place. Sorry about that." He said, letting go of her and stepping off to the side. He glanced back at the TARDIS, his lips curling slightly as he caught Rose's eye and extended a hand toward her.

"I've seen worse," Martha said as Rose took the Doctor's hand and allowed him to lead her around the wretched smelling mess. Martha side stepped it, barely paying it any mind. "I've worked the late night shift at A&E," she added before stopping stone still in the middle of th street. "Wait, are we safe? Should we move around?"

The Doctor paused, looking to Rose in confusion before looking back to Martha. "Of course we can, why do you ask?" He questioned his newest companion.

"It's like in the films. You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race." Martha replied.

"Oh, it's not that bad. Really." Rose said, waving it off. "So long as you don't affect anyone related to you, you should be fine." She said, the memory of the reapers flickering in her mind.

"What if," Martha said, catching up to them as the Doctor attempted to go a little further down the road. "I dunno, what if I kill my grandfather." Martha asked.

The Doctor's brow furrowed. "In 1599? More like your great, great, great, great, _great_ grandfather, and even still, chances are slim he'd be here in London."

"This is London?" Martha asked in disbelief, looking around.

"Should be," The Doctor replied, causing Rose to giggle quietly beside him. She ignored the glare he tried to give her, focusing her attention on Martha.

"Am I alright?" She asked. "I'm not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?" She asked, glancing around.

"Why would they do that?" The Doctor asked, looking to Rose for help.

"Not exactly white, in care you haven't noticed." Martha replied, hands pressed to her chest.

"I'm not even human," The Doctor shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets, poking an elbow out toward Rose for her to loop her arm through. "Just walk about like you own the place, works for us." He said as she rested her hand in the crook of his elbow. "Besides, you'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your own time."

"It's a bit different." Rose argued.

"I don't think so. Look, they have recycling," The Doctor said, point to a man shoveling manure.

"That's just keeping the street clean," Rose countered.

"Water cooler moment," The Doctor challenged, gesturing to a pair of men talking around a water barrel. Rose couldn't argue that one without getting too technical.

Seeming pleased with her lack of rebuttal, he nodded his head toward a man preaching about the world going up in flames. "Global warming," The Doctor snickered.

"Or a regular doomsday believer." Rose smiled.

"Entertainment for the masses," The Doctor continued on, pausing as he looked at their surroundings, an excited light coming to his eyes. "And we are just down the river by Southwark which means …." He whipped his other arm out, grabbing Martha's hand. He took off running, and Rose had to hold his elbow tighter to not lose grip. Lifting her skirts with one hand, she kept pace with the Doctor's mad sprint as he rounded the corner. "The Globe Theatre." He beams. "Though strictly speaking it's not a globe, it's a tetradecagon. Fourteen sides. And behind those walls, the man himself."

Rose looked up at him, trying to figure out who "the man" he was referring to could be. She tried not to let the annoyance cross her face when Martha gasped.

"Whoa, you don't mean." She said from the other side of the Doctor, and Rose had to turn her head to hide the eye roll. "Is Shakespeare in there?"

"Oh yes," The Doctor said with the kind of glee she hadn't heard since Charles Dickens. "Would you ladies like to accompany me to the theater?" He asked.

"I would love to, Mister Smith." Martha said, the smile Rose couldn't see but knew was there laced in Martha's tone.

"Rose?" He asked her.

"Lead the way," She said, lifting her skirts once more as they made their way toward the theater.

* * *

It was hardly the first time Rose felt significantly under educated in the Doctor's presence. He rambled on about things beyond her comprehension all the time. But this was different, this was something she could make no excuse for except for perhaps her being an Estate kid. While the theatre goers below and around them were mildly entertained, and The Doctor and Martha fully entranced, Rose was lost. She knew of the more popular stories, of course. She watched _West Side Story, 10 Things I Hate About You,_ and _O_ , but she also knew they were a far cry from the masterpiece that was their source material. She could hardly follow along with the help of a study guide in school, and with the play before her being one of his lesser known she didn't even have a faint memory of what was going on to help reference.

She worried her skirt the whole time the actors were on the stage, feeling an insecurity she hadn't felt in a long time start to bubble to the surface. It wasn't a competition, not really, but how could she even stand beside an educated woman like Martha with an appreciation for the things the Doctor seemed to love? Not for the first time since sitting down in the balcony seating, Rose wondered what it would have been like if Donna had come with them instead.

Applause brought her out of her thoughts, and she was quick to join the masses in their cheering despite the fact she still had no idea what was going on.

"That was amazing, just amazing!" Martha exclaimed, grabbing the Doctor's arm with a white-knuckled grip. "It's worth putting up with the smell."

"Not that different from the tube during summer," Rose commented with a shrug, though she did have to admit it took her a bit to get used to the stench.

"I suppose," Martha shrugged, hardly paying attention to Rose while craning her head, searching for something. "Where's Shakespeare? I want to see Shakespeare. Author!" She shouted down below. "Author," She repeated before pausing, her cheeks coloring before looking to the Doctor with a touch of embarrassment. "Do people shout that?"

Someone down below picked up Martha's chant, the rest of the theatre starting to join in.

"Well, the do now." The Doctor mused.

Rose turned her attention down to the stage, watching as a man in his thirties came out. Well dressed, clean looking, he bowed low before waving to the crowd, blowing kisses, basking in their praise.

"He's a bit different from his portraits," Martha noted.

"Mmm, I'll say." Rose said, admiring the man below appreciatively. "Never would have guess he was such a good looking bloke."

"Really?" She heard the Doctor say though she didn't look back at him.

"He kinda is." Martha agreed.

"Kinda looks like a hero from a romance," Rose added, biting her lip as she noted how Shakespeare's shirt was open just a bit, revealing a broad chest. She vaguely wondered if it would be smooth, or have the perfect amount of hair to add to his manly perfection.

"He's a genius," The Doctor said as if he was trying to correct their way of thinking. " _The_ genius. The most human Human that's ever been." And then his reverence took over the indignation in his tone. "Now we're going to hear him speak. He chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words." He said with awe.

"Shut your big fat mouths," Shakespeare yelled jovially to the crowd, and Rose burst out laughing with the rest while Martha and the Doctor remained silent.

"Oh," The Doctor said.

"Brilliant words indeed," Rose smiled.

"You have excellent taste, I'll give you that." Shakespeare continued before suddenly pointing to someone. "Oh, that's a wig."

Rose chuckled with the crowd, the giddiness of a school girl with a celebratory crush starting to come over her. She could feel the Doctor's eyes starting to bore into the back of her head, but she didn't really care.

"I know what you're all saying. _Loves Labour's Lost_ , that's a funny ending. It just stops. Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon." He bows, and then suddenly he shoots back up, like he was kicked from behind or pulled up by the collar. "When? Tomorrow night." He said, though he looked surprised by the revelation himself. "The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less. And I call it _Loves Labour's Won_."

"Woo!" Rose called, applauding eagerly with the audience. She had no idea that the play ended so abruptly, but she could appreciate a man giving the audience what they wanted.

Shakespeare and the cast left the stage, and the crowd started to file out. She turned, catching the less than enthused looks on both the Doctor and Martha's faces. While the former looked oddly skeptical, the later looked confused. Neither said anything as they left the theatre.

"I'm not an expert," Martha said when they were a few feet away. "But I've never heard of _Loves Labour's Won_." She said, explaining her confusion.

"Exactly," The Doctor said thoughtfully, hands in his pockets. "The lost play. It doesn't exist, only in rumors. It's mentioned in the lists of his plays, but never ever turns up. No one knows why."

"We could tape it," Martha said with a grin. "Sell it when we get home and make a mint." She looked to Rose who had to look away, literally biting her tongue.

"No," She heard the Doctor said sternly.

"That would be bad?" Martha asked, sounding chastised.

"Yeah," The Doctor added.

"And here I thought you only took the best." Rose said quietly, mostly to herself, but as she glanced up she could tell the Time Lord heard. She shrank a bit at the glare but still felt a bit of anger rising in her. Adam did something stupid and it was an instant send home. Martha was clearly thinking along the same lines as him, yet the Doctor didn't seem to be heading back toward the TARDIS at all.

"Well, how come it disappeared in the first place?" Martha asked thoughtfully, and Rose knew instantly what was going to happen.

"Well," He said, dragging out the word and sounding partly torn. "I was just gonna give you a quick little trip, but I suppose we could stay a bit longer."

Rose watched as he flashed Martha a grin, and she sighed heavily. His interest was peeked, and Martha knowing full well that this play shouldn't exist had asked just the right questions to get him to stay. Not a bad thing, Rose was always up for a little investigating. But she could feel herself being pushed to the back once again, her lack of knowledge on near five hundred year old (in her time, anyway) plays making her the least useful of the two companions. As the Doctor took charge and lead them down the road away from the TARDIS, she fell a couple steps behind them. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was still following, but didn't say anything or pause for her to join him at his side.

He lead them surely toward a building, and Rose paused to glance up at the sign. _Elephant Inn_. The Doctor didn't pause, and he was already inside and heading up the stairs as Rose hurried to catch up.

"Hello," The Doctor's voice echoed down the stairs. "Excuse me, I'm not interrupting am I?"

"Oh no, no. Who let you in?" She heard Shakespeare say as she came up behind the Doctor and Martha. She tried to crane her head to see, but couldn't. "No autographs, and please don't ask me where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest, now be a good boy and shove …." He stopped, quite suddenly. "Hey, nonny nonny. Sit right down here next to me. You two, get sewing. Off you go."

As Martha stepped around the Doctor, two men pushed past Rose, glancing at her before disappearing down the hall.

When the Doctor stepped further into the room, it allowed Rose to enter, standing beside him roughly where Martha had been.

Shakespeare glanced up from Martha, doing a double take and smiling. "You keep exquisite company, sir." He said with an appreciative smile. "Perhaps your other companion would like to sit to my left."

"Oh, umm, I think she'll stay by me." He said, and Rose felt the brush of his fingers on her waist.

She stepped away, moving toward Shakespeare. "Come, now, Doctor." She teased as she sat on the edge of Shakespeare's desk, crossing her legs before looking over her shoulder at the flabbergasted alien. "How often to I get invited to sit with _the_ genius."

"Doctor, you say?" Shakespeare said, looking to the slack jawed man in pin strips.

He managed to pull himself together to come and sit beside Martha across from Shakespeare, reaching in his pocket and pulling out his psychic paper. "Sir Doctor of TARDIS," he said. "This is Dame Rose of Powell Estate, and our companion, Miss Martha Jones."

"Interesting, that bit of paper." Shakespeare said, gesturing to it. "It's blank." He said with a touch of cheek.

The Doctor beamed. "Oh that's very clever." He said, shaking his head in awe. "That proves it. Absolute genius."

Martha furrowed her brow, peering at the paper. "No, it says so. Sir Doctor, Dame Rose, Martha Jones." She said, pointing it out.

Rose could see it, noting how the wording actually read _Sir Doctor of Tardis and his_ wife, _Dame Rose of Powell Estate._

"And I say it's blank." Shakespeare said smugly.

"It's psychic paper. Tells people what you want them to see." The Doctor explained to Martha as he tucked the paper away.

"Psychic. Never heard that before and words are my trade. Who are you, exactly? And more to the point, who are the beautiful women you have managed to surround yourself with? The sweet golden girl and your delicious blackmoore lady."

"What did you say?" Martha asked, seemingly caught off.

"Isn't that a word we use nowadays? An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A Queen of Afric?"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Martha said with a shake of her head before bowing it slightly.

"It's political correctness gone mad." The Doctor tried to sooth. "Um, Martha's from a far-off land. Freedonia."

Shakespeare nodded. "And you, Dame Rose, are you of this Freedonia as well?"

"Oh," Rose grinned. "No, I'm not."

"So you are an English Dame? Quite rare." He noted, looking her over in a way that was both studious and appreciative.

"I saved a Queen once. Not your Queen, of course, one from a distant land." She made up with the kind of ease she could have only learned from the Doctor. "She was so appreciative of my efforts she knighted me."

"And how did you save this Queen?" Shakespeare asked, leaning toward her in a slightly suggestive way.

"Hmm," Rose hummed. "If I were to tell you now, what would there be to discuss later? Better to keep a bit of mystery, yeah?" She asked, her tongue peeking out between her teeth as she grinned.

Shakespeare smiled appreciatively.

"Excuse me!" She had half expected it to be the Doctor that interrupted their flirt, but she turned to see that the stunned alien was not the one to have spoken. It was a bigger man, finely dressed and radiating self importance. As he stepped into the room Rose could feel the light hearted atmosphere shift to tense. "Hold hard a moment," The man continued "This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, mister Shakespeare. As Master of Revels, every new script must be registered and examined by me before it can be performed."

"Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it 'round." Shakespeare said with a huff and sigh, as if this was not his first negative encounter with this man.

"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine." The man puffed out his chest. "The script, now."

"I can't." Shakespeare replied, maintaining his calm.

"Then tomorrow's performance is canceled. I'm returning to my office for a banning order. _Loves Labours Won_ will never be played." He declared before turning and leaving, giving his over coat a flick for good measure.

Once the man was gone, Shakespeare rubbed his brow. "Lynley." He said as if it was the only explanation needed. "He's always been eager to find a way to hinder me."

"There's always someone trying to hold you back." Rose attempted to reassure.

"But I'm afraid he may succeed this time." Shakespeare sighed.

"Well, then," Martha sighed, slapping her thighs. "Mystery solved. Thought it might be something more, you know … mysterious." She said, looking around the room.

The Doctor pouted, almost as if he had hoped for more as well. Which made his face lighting up for a moment at the screaming outside momentarily adorable.

The four of them bolted from the room, clamoring down the stairs and rushing out onto the street. They looked around.

"There," Rose pointed to the crowd and they all took off running, seeing the Lynley man spitting up water as he clutched his throat, sinking down to the ground.

"What's wrong with him?" The Doctor asked, shoving past the forming crowd of spectators with Martha in tow. "Let us through, we're Doctors."

Rose stood off to the side with Shakespeare, watching as Martha checked over the man while the Doctor darted down a side street a moment before returning to Martha. The both twitched backward, the crowd backing further away. The Doctor got down on his knee, looking over the man with Martha, the two seeming to discuss what could have happened.

"Are you alright?" Shakespeare asked her, and Rose nodded.

"Not the first time strange things like this have happened around me." She replied with a half-hearted smile.

"But something else is bothering you." Shakespeare noted.

Before Rose could say anything in reply, the Doctor stood, drawing their attention. "Good mistress," He said to the woman Rose had figured to be the Inn Keeper. "This poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humors. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away."

"Yes, sir." She said with a nod.

"I'll do it, ma'am." The young woman Rose recognized as the maid from Shakespeare's room said, putting a hand on her boss's arm as if to comfort before taking off down the road.

The Doctor knelt back down beside Martha, and the two had another quiet conversation, though Martha seemed a little annoyed with him.

He stood a moment later, striding toward Rose and Shakespeare.

"So?" She asked.

He put his hands in his pockets a moment, looking down at her as if he was trying to tell her something. He then lifted his right hand, making as if to brush her hair, and paused. Rose nodded ever so slightly, and the Doctor's fingers brushed against her temple.

" _Witchcraft,"_ The whisper of his voice said in her mind, and she barely suppressed the shudder that proceeded from his withdraw as well as the information.

"A night like this," The Inn keeper said as she approached them with Martha's arm comfortingly around her. "I believe we could all use a drink. Sir, would you and your ladies require accommodations?"

"Yes, that would be lovely, thank you." The Doctor replied, smiling down at her.

"We best get inside." The inn keeper said, gesturing to the door and stepping out of Martha's hold.

The four of them followed her inside, but the three travelers followed Shakespeare to his room. Martha and Rose resumed their places from before, the Doctor hesitating before doing the same. He glanced up at Rose fleetingly, trying to discern something she would guess, before a shadow fell over her. A stein of ale was handed to her by Shakespeare, and she smiled at him in thanks before he handed another to Martha.

A moment later the woman from the street came in, carrying another two steins, handing one to Shakespeare first before giving the other to the Doctor.

"I got you a room, Sir Doctor." She said. "You and the ladies will be across the landing."

"Thank you," The Doctor replied, setting the stein on the desktop and smiling at the woman as she left.

"Poor Lynley," Shakespeare said after a beat of silence and a hearty swig of his drink. "So many strange events. Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?" He said, turning his attention to Martha.

"Where a woman can do what she likes." Martha countered with a hint of a smile.

"And you, Sir Doctor. How can a man so young have eyes so old?" He asked, turning his attention to the alien as he sank down in his chair. Rose's skirts stirred slightly at the brush of his knee, drawing the Doctor's eyes for a moment.

"I do a lot of reading," He told Shakespeare.

"A trite reply." The Bard said with a smirk. "It's what I'd do. I also find it odd that while Martha looks at you like she can't believe you exist, Dame Rose regards you with a deep familiarity. Not so much that I'd dare say she is yours, but enough that one with less insight might think so."

From the corner of her eye Rose saw the Doctor open his mouth to say something, stopping as she leaned forward a touch.

"Oh you're good." She replied to Shakespeare with a humored tone. "Martha's only just joined, and I'm sure you know many brutes wouldn't allow her to keep the freedoms she's so used to." She said, surprising herself with her own quick reply.

Shakespeare narrowed his gaze on her, a smile playing on his lips. "That is certainly true for Martha, yet there's something you still keep here," He said raising a hand and letting his fingers fall on the exposed skin just below her left clavicle. "Close at heart."

"Well, I think we should call it a night." The Doctor declared, getting to his feet. "What do you think Martha?"

"Probably for the best." She said, setting the stein down on the desk and turning to leave. She paused, flashing a wave to Shakespeare before leaving the room.

Shakespeare glanced between Rose and the Doctor, sighing before he said, "I must work." He took Rose's hand and gave it a gentle tug, prompting her to hop off the desk corner. "I have a play to complete. But I'll get my answers tomorrow. Especially from you, Doctor. I'll discover why this constant performance of yours."

Rose chuckled in her throat as she headed for the door where the Doctor was already standing.

"All the world's a stage." He quoted, something Rose did recognize.

"Hm," Shakespeare grunted. "I might use that. Goodnight Doctor, Rose."

"Night," Rose smiled back at him before heading out the room, the Doctor close behind. And close at her side, his hands in his pockets but his arm brushing against hers.

They entered the room they were given, noting the two small beds, the small table and chair, and not much else.

"Not exactly five-star, is it?" Martha commented as she glanced around the room as if she hoped another pass over would improve it somehow.

"Oh it'll do, I've seen worse." The Doctor said as he looked around, leaning against the desk and crossing his arms.

"I've lived in worse," Rose confessed as she moved to a bed, laying down. The Doctor looked at her darkly, though the gaze wasn't for her. It was distant, like he was seeing something or someone else entirely. Not for the first time, Rose wondered if he knew more about her past than she told or he let on. If he could know about a red bicycle when she was twelve, it's entirely possible that Jimmy Stone allowing her to leave without a fuss was something he had a hand in also.

"So, who's going where?" Martha asked, snapping him out of it. "Beds are pretty small."

"Oh, well," The Doctor said, looking down at the chair. "I don't need much sleep me. I'll just sit back here, take a quick kip."

Martha nodded, plopping down on the other bed. "So magic and stuff, that's a surprise. It's a little bit _Harry Potter_." She said, turning on the excitement.

"Wait till you read book seven. Oh, I cried." The Doctor said, a dreamy smile coming to his lips.

"For days." Rose teased. "He couldn't even look at the thing without tearing up."

"He died, Rose. He died and gave Harry his memories to show him how much he loved his mother and was only trying to protect him." He rambled, sniffing slightly, and Rose wasn't sure if it was his usual deflect or one to avoid getting emotional.

"Who dies?" Martha asked, her voice cracking a touch.

"A lot of people, don't worry about it." Rose waved it off, catching the Doctor's momentary guilt before it disappeared with a clear of his throat.

"But it's real, though? I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it's real?" Martha asked, the eager curiosity coming back.

"'Course it isn't." The Doctor scoffed as he moved the chair and sat down.

"Well how am I supposed to know?" Martha retorted. "I've only just started believing in time travel."

"Looks like witchcraft, but isn't." The Doctor said, mostly to himself as he adjusted so his feet were on the corner of the desk while he faced the girls.

"Obviously it's alien," Rose contemplated, closing her eyes. "Like the werewolf thing we encountered."

"Yes," The Doctor murmured. "But that was different. It was a direct physical attack, with a purpose. It wanted to pass on it's traits, to make an empire. This, this is all so _old_. Old, and like I should know it." He sighed. "You two, sleep. I'm sure it'll come to me. And when it's all done, Martha, I'll take you back."

No one said anything before someone blew out the candle. Martha, she suspected, though the Doctor could have moved to do it himself. The moon was bright enough that Rose could make out light from behind her eye lids, though as she opened them she still found it hard to see.

She laid there, half watching the Doctor as he seemed to have lost himself in his own brain, eyes unfocused and wide open. Eventually Martha's breathing quieted and slowed, and Rose could guess she had fallen asleep. It was at that precise moment that the Doctor stood from his chair and laid in the small space beside Rose.

"I'm not sure what's going on here." He said quietly as Rose turned on her side to look up at him.

"We'll figure it out," She said quietly as well, absentmindedly running a finger over his blazer sleeve. "We've got the night to think it through."

"That wasn't what I was referring to." He said, looking down at her with an arched brow. She stilled her fingers. "Flirting with Shakespeare? Not correcting him about … well, about."

"About?" Rose asked.

"Well, I mean. He points out that he doesn't think we're together, and you don't say anything to contradict him."

"Because there's nothing to contradict." Rose said simply, though her chest constricted.

"Yes there is." The Doctor said firmly, making sure he had her gaze locked in his before he cupped her cheek.

Heat rose at his touch. "Martha doesn't think so." She commented, doing her best to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "And with the way you fawn over her, can't say I blame her."

The Doctor grinned, making Rose's cheeks heat for another reason. "Rose Tyler, are you jealous?" He teased as quietly as possible.

"No. Why should I be? 'S not like I have a reason to be. I'm just another girl, really. Like Madamme de Pompousness, and Lynda with a 'y'."

He shook his head, his smile becoming adoring. "You are not just another girl." He said, sliding down so they were eye to eye, close enough she could feel his cool breath on her face. "You're my precious pink and yellow human." He ran his thumb over her blushing cheeks, easing her a little. "Come here," He whispered, shifting so he could bring her head down on his chest without her needing to move. The double beat of his hearts echoed comfortingly in her ears like a lullaby. He kissed the top of her head, his fingers tugging lightly at the tips of her hair. In the familiar comfort of his arms it didn't take her long to drift off.

The scream woke her up, as did the sudden movement of the Doctor from beneath her. He was off the bed and darting out the room before she was fully upright, Martha stirring behind her on the other bed.

"What was that?" Martha asked.

"Nothing Good," Rose replied, scooting off the bed and heading out into the hall. She noticed there was light in Shakespeare's room, and she headed for the open door and found the Doctor crouched by the inn keeper with Shakespeare still seated at his desk looking utterly terrified. Something in the window caught Rose's eye, and she went toward it. Martha was suddenly beside her, the two of them peering out the window.

Rose's heart stopped a moment, and cold fear washed over her. "Did you see that?" She whispered, shifting her gaze to Martha.

She looked equally terrified. "Yeah." She replied.

"What did you see?" The Doctor asked, peering between the two of them.

"A witch," Martha confessed.

"On a broomstick," Rose added. "Or something that looked like one."

He didn't say anything, his face becoming hard with thought. The darkness in his eyes caused Rose to take his hand in hers, and she wasn't surprised by the tightness of his hold.

"We need to send for someone." Shakespeare said, and Rose heard his steps hurry from the room.

She turned away from the window as much as she could, watching Martha retreat to the chair she had occupied earlier with an exhausted flop.

"You two should go back to sleep," The Doctor said. "Nothing that can be done right now." Martha nodded, standing, pausing by the Inn Keeper before heading back to the room. "I did mean both of you." He added when Rose made no effort to move.

She shook her head. "I couldn't. My mind is racing."

"Rose," he said with a warning to his tone.

"I don't think I could anyway." She admitted, rubbing the crease between her eyes as she furrowed her brow. "Not if you're not there."

She expected him to argue, but he pulled her toward him. Letting go of her hand he looped it around her waist, tucking her head under his chin until they heard footsteps on the stairs.

Rose sat down in Shakespeare's chair as the man himself, the Doctor, and a pair of authoritative looking men gathered around the inn keeper. Her eye lids grew heavy as they discussed what happened, what could possibly be the cause. Eventually she allowed them to shut.

She awoke in the Doctor's arms, held against his chest, his legs beneath her. After blinking the sleep from her eyes she understood they were back in the guest room, on her bed, and the door was open with a view into Shakespeare's room. Rose felt his lips press into the top of her head before he took a deep breath, untangling his limbs from around her.

"How did I?" She started to ask.

"Fell asleep in the chair." He replied quietly. "I brought you in."

"How did I end up like this?" She asked, sliding off his lap but staying flush against him.

The Doctor shrugged, "I just sat down on the bed. You didn't seem uncomfortable."

"And you wanted Shakespeare to see so he'd back off?" She teased, arching her brow as she silently challenged him to deny it.

His eyes widened slightly, and he swallowed nervously. "Well, I wouldn't say, that is that I don't believe," He reached up, adjusting his tie. "I know we talked last night, a bit, but that's not to say I think …." A heavy footstep echoed down the hall, and a shadow moved in Shakespeare's room. "The day has begun." The Doctor said with enthusiastic relief, shifting out of Rose's hold and getting to his feet just as Martha stirred in the other bed. He reached out a hand, helping Rose to her feet as Martha sat up. "You ready to start your day Miss Jones?" The Doctor asked as he dropped Rose's hand.

Martha rubbed sleep from her eyes before she stood with a sleepy grin. "Ready when you are." She said, something sad in her tone.

The three left the room, moving for Shakespeare's, falling in step behind a servant who was bringing up a tray of food. She smiled knowingly at them with tear stained cheeks, scooting into the room as quickly as she could.

Shakespeare glanced up at them from his desk, not a trace of surprise in his features as the all resumed the positions that had been taken up from the beginning. Rose eyed the food on the tray, but nothing really appealed to her despite how hungry she was starting to feel. Normally one to jump in on the local cuisine, something about dried bread and hard looking cheese didn't quite wet her appetite enough.

When the servant girl left she closed the door, Shakespeare ran his finger over the crease in his brow. "Oh sweet Dolly Bailey," He sighed. "She sat out three bouts of plague in this place. We all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit."

"Sometimes even the bravest get scared. There's some terrifying things in the universe." Rose commented, crossing her legs.

"That maybe so. But there's nothing in the world so terrifying, I would think, to arrest her heart so quickly."

"Unless it was something not of this world." Rose said without thinking, though Shakespeare only seemed to tilt his head as if to say she had a point.

"Lynley drowned on dry land," Martha thought out loud. "Dolly died of fright, and they were both connected to you."

"You're accusing me?" Shakespeare asked, shooting Martha an annoyed glance.

"No, but I saw a witch, flying, cackling away, and you've written about witches." Martha quickly explained, and the Doctor's eyebrows shot to his hair line, his eyes slowly getting hard.

Shakespeare scrunched his face in confusion. "I have? When was that?"

"She merely means old crones and catty women." Rose waved it off, picking up from the look the Doctor gave Martha that whatever she was talking about hadn't happened yet. "It's a colloquial term in Freedonia."

But Shakespeare, it seemed, wasn't paying attention. Deep in thought, he rubbed his chin, his eyes far off. "Peter Streete spoke of witches." He said quietly.

"Who's Peter Streete?" Martha asked.

"Our builder," Shakespeare said with dismissive a wave of his hand. "He sketched the plans to the Globe."

"The architect." The Doctor mumbled, and Rose turned to see that look he got when pieces started coming together. The way his eyes dart around, and his mouth slowly falls open. "Hold on, the architect. The architect!" He slammed his fist down on the desk before standing abruptly, moving to to take Rose's right hand in his left and pulling her off the desk. "The Globe! Come on," He shouted, pulling Rose with him out the room and out the inn.

They tore through the streets, entering the theatre without anyone paying them any mind despite how strange they must look running about. The Doctor stopped them in the middle of the massive area where the common people stood to watch the show, while Martha and Shakespeare went up on to the stage.

Rose looked at the theatre from this new perspective, and without any of the other people crowded inside. The structure was gorgeous, rich but not overly posh. It welcomed any and everyone who wished to see the magic of theatre, even if they didn't understand quite what was going on. The Doctor dropped her hand to put his in his pockets, and she ventured closer to the stage to take in the new angles. She could tell, even from where she stood in the pit below, what it must feel like to be to be an actor performing in front of so many people.

"'S Beautiful," She said, shaking her head. "Absolutely beautiful. Makes me wish I had a deeper appreciation for such things all my life."

"It is a magnificent structure," Shakespeare agreed with a touch of pride, hands on his hips as he looked around the room. "It shall stand the test of time."

"At least until a prop misfires," The Doctor mumbled as he glanced around. "Though I have always wondered, but have never asked , why fourteen sides?" He asked more clearly, turning to Shakespeare.

The Bard looked around, uncertainty taking over where the pride had been. "It was the shape Peter thought best. Said it carried the sound well."

The Doctor didn't look convinced. "Why does that ring a bell? Fourteen?"

"There are fourteen lines in a sonnet." Martha offered, the grin of the star pupil giving the right answer plastered across her face.

"So there is," The Doctor replied thoughtfully. "Good point. Words and shapes following the same design." He trailed off, pacing about. "Fourteen lines, fourteen sides, fourteen facets. Tetradecagon. Think, think, think, think." He was saying more to himself than anyone, patting the top of his head as if it would jostle the answers he sought to the front of his mind. "Words, letters, numbers, lines."

"This is just a theatre." Shakespeare said, gesturing to the space around them. It was the first time Rose noticed he had papers in his hand. Just a few pages, it looked like. She stared at them as the Doctor approached the stage.

"Oh but a theatre's magic, isn't it? You should know." The Doctor said as he stood near Rose, caressing the stage floor like she'd seen him do to bits of the TARDIS when he thought she wasn't looking. He looked right at Shakespeare as if he locked his eyes on his. "Stand on this stage, say the right words, with the right emphasis at the right time. Oh you can make men weep, or cry with joy. Change them." And then his gaze shifted, a new light coming to his eyes as some of those answers he was trying to jostle downward earlier fell into place. "You can change people's minds just with words in this place. And if you exaggerate that …."

"It's like your police box," Martha interrupted him as he turned and paced toward the middle of the room. "Small wooden box with all that power inside."

"Oh," He said, turning as he put his hand in his pockets. "Oh Martha Jones, I like you." He said with a kind of conviction that caused a bolt of hurt to shoot through Rose's chest. She cast her gaze down, drawing her lips in as she tried not to let it bother her. "Tell you what, though. Peter Streete would know. Can I talk to him?" The Doctor asked.

"You won't get an answer." Shakespeare replied, and Rose looked up at the Bard. He looked regretfully at the Doctor. "A month after finishing this place," He shook his head, "lost his mind."

"Why, what happened?" Martha asked.

Shakespeare's face morphed slightly, just for a moment. Understanding was there before he rearranged his face to one more neutral. "Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling." Shakespeare replied, a slight tremor to his voice. "His mind was addled."

"Where is he now?" The Doctor asked, returning to the front of the stage near Rose once again.

"Bedlam," The Bard replied.

"What's Bedlam?" Martha asked, seeming to catch something on the Doctor's face that Rose couldn't see with his back to her.

"Bedlam Hospital. The madhouse." Shakespeare replied, barely glancing at Martha.

"We're gonna go there," The Doctor said, reaching behind him and finding Rose's hand. "Right now." He turned and gave her hand a tug, pausing only a beat in his fast stride to allow her to fall in step.

"Wait! I'm coming with you. I want to witness this first hand." Shakespeare called, and Rose glanced over her shoulder to see Martha catching up, and the Bard on her heel. A pair of young men passed them, and once they approached Shakespeare, Rose gave the Doctor's hand a tug.

"What?" he asked, and she gestured toward the great writer. The Doctor said nothing as they waited for Shakespeare to catch up, but he ran both hands through his hair a few times until it was thoroughly a mess.

Rose reached up, fixing the strands when he was done mussing them. She gave him a small smile as he looked down at her with a touch of confusion. As she caught movement in the corner of her eye she stopped.

Shakespeare joined them with a nod, and the four of them ventured out into the street.

"You have been keeping quiet since we arrived at the theatre, Dame Rose." Shakespeare commented as the moved. "Where your Doctor ponders aloud, I dare say you think things through in a more mysterious manner."

Rose snickered. "Didn't have much to say, I suppose."

"Oh but a woman such as you does not normally stay so silent, I would say." He added, and she could feel the Doctor's eyes on her as his knuckles brushed against hers.

"Isn't that the appropriate behaviour for a woman in London?" Rose teased, sending him a smirk over her shoulder. "To be seen and not heard?"

"Oh but you strike me as one who rebels against such customs. I only wish I could discover what other customs you would toss aside for your own pleasure." He replied, and Rose blushed and bowed her head to hide the smirk. "And what of Freedonia? What are rules in a land where women can be doctors, writers, actors."

"This country's ruled by a woman," Martha countered cheekily.

"Ah, she's royal." Shakespeare countered flirtatiously, and the Doctor huffed at Rose's side. "That's God's business. Though you are a royal beauty."

"It's like he and Jack are related." The Doctor mumbled to himself.

"Whoa, Nelly!" Martha cried out as the Doctor grumbled, and Rose looked over her shoulder to see she and Shakespeare had stopped. Rose grabbed the Doctor's hand, pulling him back to her as their companions paused. "I know for a fact," Martha continued, "that you have a wife in the country."

Shakespeare stepped toward Martha with a salacious grin so much like Jack's that it was eerie. "But Martha, this is Town." He said with all the innuendo that the former time agent would have put behind the words.

"Come on," The Doctor groaned impatiently. "We can all have a good flirt later."

"Is that a promise, Doctor?" Shakespeare said as he turned the gaze he had for Martha over to the Doctor before taking him in.

Rose covered her mouth to hide the smirk from the shell shocked Doctor.

"Oh fifty-seven academics just punched the air." He said before snapping out of his stupor. "Now move," He said, gesturing with his head and leading the charge once again.

"Just like Jack," Rose said, leaning into the Doctor slightly, flashing him a tooth touched smile. His aggravation seemed to ease a bit, and she swore she saw a grin pull at the corners of his mouth before his expression became all business once again.


	8. Shakespeare Code pt 2

Everything about the place made Rose's stomach churn. The stench of human waste and sweat, the agonized cries of the men and women locked away for something that in a few centuries would be treated properly. She pressed her face against the Doctor's back as much as she could, masking some of the worst stench while finding comfort in his nearness. The hospital was breaking her heart, and they hadn't even ventured that far within its walls. Sooner than she would have liked, they were led into a dank, prison like area, where barred cells reminded Rose of cages. While the stench hadn't gotten worse, the glimpses she got of the people huddled in the corner made her heart constrict.

"Does my lord, Doctor, wish some entertainment while he waits?" Their escort asked as he led them through the halls. "I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for ya."

"No, I don't." The Doctor sneered, making their escort look momentarily ashamed.

"Wait here, my lord, while I make him decent for the ladies." The man said with a bow before retreating down the hall, trying to hide his whip.

"So this is what you call a hospital, yeah? Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry." Martha growled at Shakespeare. "And you put your friend in here?"

"Oh and it's all so different in Freedonia." Shakespeare shot back.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor whispered back to Rose over his shoulder as Martha and Shakespeare bantered. She nodded, reaching for his hand and squeezing it. He shifted the grip so his fingers fell perfectly between hers like he was made to fit. "You don't have to lie." He added.

"M'fine." She said quietly. "Or I will be."

"This way m'lord." Their escort called to them.

The Doctor gave Rose's hand another squeeze before sliding his cool fingers from between hers. He walked with squared shoulders to the cell the man stood beside, waiting for it to be unlocked as she, Martha, and Shakespeare caught up.

"They can be dangerous," The escort said as he opened the door for them. "Don't know their own strength."

"I think it helps if you don't whip them," The Doctor said coldly, his eyes betraying the possibility of the Oncoming Storm making an appearance if the man didn't heed the warning. "Now get out." The Doctor snarled, and the escort quickly retreated.

The Doctor eased up, rolling his shoulders before kneeling down to a man in rags, curled into an upright ball on a simple little cot in the corner. His eyes lacked the spark of life though his moving chest indicated he was still breathing at least.

"He's the same as he was," Shakespeare commented with barely masked disappointment. "You'll get nothing out of him."

"Shh," Rose hushed him as she watched the Doctor reach out and touch the poor man on the shoulder.

"Peter," He said softly, but the poor man acted as if the Doctor grabbed him roughly and yelled. The jerk of his head toward the Doctor made Rose jump, grabbing Shakespeare's sleeve for a moment before she realized what she'd done. "Peter, I'm the Doctor." He continued in a soothing voice, placing his fingertips gently near Peter's temples. "Go into the past," He instructed. "Let your mind go back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story, a winter's tale. That's it, just let it go." He eased the man down on to the cot so he was laying down. "Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches."

There was a pause where all Rose could hear was the beating of her heart as she waited, wondering if somehow the Doctor did more harm than good to the poor, fragile looking man.

"Witches spoke to Peter." The man finally said. "In the night they whispered. Got Peter to build the Globe to their design," He rambled steadily, repeating the last two words. "The fourteen walls, always fourteen. When the work was done," He said, laughing with madness. "They snapped poor Peter's wits." He said in a hushed tone.

"Where did Peter see the witches?" The Doctor pressed gently. "Where in the city?"

The man turned to the Doctor, appearing completely lucid for the first time since they entered the room. His eyes lost that glazed look, appearing determined. "All Hallows Street." He said with strength in his voice.

"Too many words." An ancient voice sounded around them as an old hag suddenly appeared beside the Doctor.

He backed away, spreading his arms out in front of Martha and Shakespeare as he put his back to Rose protectively.

"Just one touch of the heart," The old crone said to them before, index finger extended in show before she lowered it toward Peter.

"No!" The Doctor cried, flinching forward as she touched the poor old man laying helpless on the bed.

He groaned in pain and a bit of relief as her finger laid above his heart, his eyes fluttering shut with a look of peace. There was that at least, the poor man was finally free of his insanity.

"A witch," Shakespeare stammered. "I'm seeing a witch."

Without thinking, Rose reached out and took his hand to comfort him, watching the Doctor in hopes he had some kind of way to stop the crone.

"Who would be next? Just one touch," The crone stalked toward them with a teasing grin on her wrinkled, haggard face. Her eyes fell and locked on Rose, seeming not to care about the man in front of her.

"Let us out," Martha said, turning to the bars and grabbing them, craning her head to try to get her voice to carry. "Let us out!" She cried again.

"Don't think he can hear us, mate." Rose snapped, her heart hammering as she tried to hide from the crone behind the Doctor.

"Who will die first? Poor, fragile mortals." The Crone taunted.

"Well, if you're looking for volunteers," The Doctor said, his tone bold. Rose let go of Shakespeare's hand and grabbed the back of the Doctor's overcoat in an effort to keep him from stepping too close to the witch.

"Don't!" Martha cried out, leaping toward him as well.

"Doctor, can you stop her?" Shakespeare stammered.

"No mortal has power over me." The witch smugly countered.

"Oh, but there's power in words." The Doctor said confidently. "If I can find the right one, if I can just know you."

"None on Earth has knowledge of us." The witch said dismissively.

"Then it's a good thing I'm here." The Doctor didn't miss a beat, dropping his hands into his pockets. "Now think, think, humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy." His body jolted. "Ah, fourteen! That's it, fourteen! Fourteen stars of the Rexel planetary configuration." He pulled his hands from his pockets and thrust an accusatory finger to the witch as if he intended to hurt her the same way she threatened them. "Creature, I name you Carrionite!" He cried, causing the witch to cry in anguish and disappear as quickly as she appeared.

The Doctor stepped backward, and Rose let out a sigh of relief as her forehead fell between his shoulder blades. Closing her eyes she took deep breaths, slowing her heart.

"What did you do?" Martha asked, and the Doctor turned, placing his hand lightly on Rose's back to provide comfort.

"I named her," He said, chest puffed slightly. "The power of a name, that's old magic."

"But there's no such thing as magic," Martha replied quickly, a reminder that to the Doctor that he had used those exact words.

"Well, it's just a different sort of science." He shrugged, stepping away from Rose and partially circling Martha with a grin. "You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead."

"Use them for what?" Shakespeare asked, barely masking the fear in his voice.

"The end of the world," The Doctor replied, grin gone as the severity of the situation seemed to hit him. "Come on, we should head back to the inn for now. Going to meet the carrionite head on without some sort of plan could prove deadly."

"Plans don't normally go our way," Rose reminded him as they heard the heavy step of their escort coming toward them.

"Still, we need to have a better idea of what we may be up against." He replied as the door was unlocked behind them.

"Ah," Their escort said, and Rose turned toward him to see him looking at Peter's body. "One less lunatic to deal with."

"That was a man," Rose whirled around on him, startling the supposed caretaker. "A living, breathing man who had a family who loved him and friends that cared. Just because he was sick doesn't mean he was any less of a human and it would be good for you to remember that. Never know, one day after being around all these supposed lunatics you might find yourself as bad off as them and then what? You'll be whipped for entertainment and tossed aside like rubbish." She stalked toward him, and the big, burly man backed away. "Show respect." She stormed out the cell and down the hall, retracing the steps they took to get there powered by the rage boiling in her chest. She heard the rushed footsteps of the others behind her, but she didn't stop for them until she was back out on the street.

She whirled around toward them, the Doctor smiling with amusement and pride while Martha and Shakespeare kept their distance with a little apprehension.

"What?" Rose demanded of the Doctor as he stopped in front of her, hands in his pockets as he rocked on his heels.

"There's just something so fantastic in watching you put a terrible man in his place. Loved it since the undertaker in Cardiff, 1869." He admitted, manically beaming for the first time since the theatre the night before.

No matter how much she didn't want to, Rose grinned. "Happy to amuse you," She said, turning away as he the Doctor bounced a little.

"Doctor," Martha said, "A plan?"

"Right, yes," The Doctor said, and Rose looked up to see him looking toward the inn. "Let's figure out what's going on here where we won't be carted back here by eavesdroppers."

* * *

The Doctor paced around Shakespeare's room from the moment they returned to the inn, and Rose took the opportunity to sit beside Martha.

"The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe." He said, the first of any of them to speak since arriving. "Nobody was sure if they were real or legend." He said, stopping, putting his hands on the back of Rose's chair.

"Well I'm going for real," Shakespeare said, still a little shaken by their experience in Bedlam.

"Not even your people?" Rose asked, looking to the Doctor.

He scoffed. "Mine most of all. The Carrionites were considered fairy tales by most, though there were some scholars who believed those tales had roots."

"What do they want?" Martha asked, her brow knitting together much in the same way the Doctor's tended to.

The Doctor didn't even pause to consider. "A new empire on Earth. A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."

"How?" Rose asked. "How would they be able to do that?"

"Words," the Doctor said, meeting her gaze for a moment before turning to Shakespeare. "And I'm looking at the man who uses the most beautiful words of all."

"Me?" Shakespeare said, oddly baffled considering his nature.

"Oh yes," The Doctor said.

"But I've done nothing." The Bard protested.

"Hold on, what were you doing last night, when the Carrionite was in the room?" Martha asked him, leaning forward slightly.

"Finishing the play," Shakespeare shrugged.

"What happens on the last page?" The Doctor asked.

Shakespeare looked around the room as if the answers were all around him, clear to all. "The boys get the girls. They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual. Except," he frowned, "those last few lines. Funny thing is, I don't actually remember writing them."

"That's it!" The Doctor cried, slapping his hands together and causing everyone in the room to startle. He put his fingers in his hair. "They used you. The gave you the final words. Like a spell, like a code." He resumed his pacing. " _Love's Labours Won_ is a weapon. The right combination of words, spoken at the right place with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! We need to find All Hallows Street. Will, do you have a map of the city?" The Doctor asked, leaning on the desk between Martha and Rose.

"Yes," He replied, getting up and going to a table behind him. Shakespeare grabbed a roll of paper and returned to the desk, spreading it out over all the other sheets scattered about.

The Doctor scanned it over. "All Hallows Street, there it is." He said, pointing to a line of text Rose couldn't read from her current spot. "We'll track them down. Will, you get to the Globe. What ever you do, stop that play."

"I'll do it." He said, extending a hand toward the Doctor. He took it, a glint of joy in his serious expression. "All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing."

"Because you weren't humble enough," Rose teased as she stood, catching the hint of that joy growing in the Doctor's eyes.

"A man such as him deserves to have a certain measure of hubris." Shakespeare said, glancing at Rose before turning his attention back to Doctor. "Good luck."

"Good luck," The Doctor grinned, glancing around the Bard. "Allons-y Martha Jones, Rose Tyler." He gestured to the door with his head before leading the way.

* * *

The street was something out of a Halloween movie, and certainly lived up to the name. Hardly a house or building on it, the ones that were had an eerie feel to them, making it difficult to decipher where the Carrionites could be.

"So, help me get this straight," Martha said as they stopped in the middle of the street. "If the Carrionites somehow manage to take over the world, what would happen?"

The Doctor scanned the street. "End of the human race." He said flatly. "Carrionites will overwhelm, kill you lot off or use you for amusement."

"So what will happen to us then?" She asked.

"How to explain the mechanics of infinite temporal flux?" He said, twisting around before turning sharply back to Martha. "I know! _Back to the Future,_ it's like that."

"The film?" Martha asked, and Rose snorted.

"No, the novelization. Yes, the film." The Doctor said with unmasked sarcasm. "Marty McFly goes back and changes history."

"And he starts fading away." Martha said with an understanding nod before words really seemed to sink in. She paled. "Oh my God, we're gonna fade away?"

The Doctor nodded. "You, Rose, the entire human race ends right now in 1599 if we don't stop it. But which house?" He asked.

Their attention was collectively pulled to a door opening seemingly by it's own accord.

"Make that witch house." Rose mumbled, running her knuckles over the back of the Doctor's hand before the three of them headed toward it.

They stepped inside, heading up stairs where a silhouette waited behind a curtain. The Doctor pushed it aside, revealing a beautiful and familiar face smiling expectantly. Rose instantly recognized the woman as the maid from the inn. She inhaled sharply through her nose, tensing as she realized how close they had been to one of them the whole time.

"I take it we were expected," The Doctor said to the woman who grinned gleefully at him.

"Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you for a very long time." She said, her fingers toying with something clutched in her hand.

"Right then, it's my turn." Martha said confidently. "I name thee Carrionite!" She cried out, pointing a finger at the woman.

She gasped, her body tensing a moment before she laughed.

"What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?" Martha asked as if she let down her teacher.

"The power of a name works only once. Observe," The Carrionite said, pointing to Martha. "I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones."

Rose gasped as Martha's eyes rolled back and she collapsed, the Doctor barely catching her to lower her to the ground.

"Is she?" Rose asked, but the Doctor shook his head.

"Just sleeping," He noted as he gently let Martha go.

"Curious, the name as less impact. She's somehow out of her time." The Carrionite mused. If she hadn't been an evil alien of some sort bent on destroying the human race, Rose may have been a little jealous of her sweet, adorable seeming nature. Even as the Carrionite's eyes fell on her, she didn't flinch so much as admired the near ginger girl. "Much like you, I suppose." She said with a grin, "The golden, pink, gentle _Rose._ " She thrust a finger toward her subject, and while a dizziness over came her, Rose barely reacted except for a slight stumble backward into the Doctor's arms. "Curious still. She gets her strength from somewhere else." The Carrionite glanced between her and the Doctor, her face twisting in confusion. "How strange, indeed. One who hides his title, another whose title can not be spoken. Tied together by a golden string, one in which I can not find a way to sever."

"Well, we're at a stale mate then," The Doctor said, stepping from behind her as if to shield her. Hands thrust in his pockets, his tense shoulders told Rose that the Oncoming Storm was glaring down the unaffected woman who tried and failed to curse them. "The Carrionites vanished, where did they go?"

"The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness." She said with only a hint of bitterness.

"And how did you escape?" He asked her.

She smiled. "New words," She said. "New and glittering from a mind like no other." She said with admiration.

"Shakespeare." The Doctor stated.

"His son perished, the grief of a genius. Grief without measure, madness enough to allow us entrance." She replied with a smirk.

"How many of you?" The Doctor asked, slowly stalking toward her.

"Just the three," She said with a slight shrug. "But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence, and from this world we will lead the universe back to the old ways of blood and magic."

"Hmm, busy schedule," The Doctor mused, scratching at his side burn and now standing so close the Carrionite it unsettled Rose. "But first you gotta get past me?"

Why would he say that? Of course, he's the Doctor, a git who doesn't think things through. How the hell was he supposed to back away from the witch should she choose to try the finger of death on him? Turning around, the only thing she spotted that could possibly be used as a weapon was a candle. She took it up, moving toward the Doctor and the witch slowly.

The Carrionite caressed and pawed at the Doctor, and appeared to be genuinely enjoying herself. "Oh, that should be a pleasure." The too-pretty witch said with a seductive tone as she sifted her fingers into the Doctor's magnificent hair. "Considering my enemy has such a handsome shape."

"Oi, and it's not made for you," Rose declared, huffing the candle toward the carrionite with all the strength she could muster.

The Witch backed away from the Doctor, but not without causing him to flinch in pain and fingering his head. The candle just missed the witch, hitting the wall beneath the open window with enough impact that the soft wax splattered, snuffing out the flame and hardening instantly.

"What did you do?" He growled at the carrionite.

"Souvenir," She grinned, taunting the Doctor with a something Rose couldn't see. Did the witch pluck a hair from his head?

"Well give it back?" The Doctor demanded as if he was a child who had his toy stolen. The Carrionite just laughed, low and seductive as she backed toward the window. She took a step backward, jumping up and back, and the Doctor moved to grab her. To both Rose and his surprise, the Carrionite floated outside the window with a amused grin. "Well that's just cheating." He said, leaning out the window.

"Behold, Doctor," The Carrionite decreed as Rose heard a soft moan from behind her. She turned and crouched toward Martha as their companion started to come around. "Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets."

"Now you might call that magic, but I'd call that a DNA replication module." He replied, and Rose looked over her shoulder to see the witch had something akin to a voodoo doll in her other hand.

"What use if your science now?" She taunted with the doll before looking to Rose. "Watch, golden child. You'll find you're no longer the only one who can bring him to his knees." She said, stabbing the doll. The Doctor cried out, falling to his knees before collapsing on his back, eyes closed and chest still. "Or break his heart." She added on before cackling and flying off into the night.

Rose rushed over to him, abandoning Martha just as she had seemed to start become aware of their surroundings.

"Doctor," Rose cried, dropping to her knees beside him, cupping his face. Martha knelt beside her, pressing her ear to his chest.

"Wait a minute, mister." She said, sitting up with a grin. "Two hearts."

"You remembered." The Doctor said, eyes popping open and attempting to stand. His eyes widened and he gasped in pain. "I've only got one heart working." He said, grasping at his left one. "How do you people cope? I've got to get the other one started," he looked to Martha. "Hit me! Hit me on the chest."

"Gladly," Rose said, giving him a good whack with her fist, causing him to cry out. "What the bloody hell were you thinking?" She yelled at him, and Martha smartly backed away.

"Ah, other side." He instructed.

Rose hit him hard again. "You bloody idiot, getting that close to something you know could kill you, or at least do a bloody good job at trying." He turned around leaning against the wall, focusing her assaults on his back where he needed it. "You call me jeopardy friendly but you put yourself at risk more often than not and you can't keep doing that." She lectured, ignoring his groans of pain, whirling him around when she felt the strong shudder of his heart restarting beneath her fist. She slammed him against the wall, locking her angry eyes on his baffled ones. "You are literally all I have left in the Universe." She reminded him, causing his face to fall. He looked as though he were about to reach for her when his eyes lit up with realization.

"We need to get to the Globe," He said, and it occurred to Rose what had happened.

"The play," She said in agreement, turning away and dashing toward the stairs, hearing Martha and the Doctor behind before the latter passed her by.

Aside from a quick moment on the street where she and Martha forced the Doctor to see he was going the wrong way, they made good time to the theatre.

"That's not good." Rose said as they paused a moment outside the Globe, dark clouds with a red glow loomed over the building. Lightning struck the roof, and rumbled of thunder shook the ground.

"Stage door," The Doctor instructed, gesturing to the side and taking off again. Rose and Martha followed.

They crashed into the backstage area, finding Shakespeare nursing a head injury while slumped on the floor behind the curtain.

"Stop the play, I think that was it." The Doctor growled. "Yeah, I said 'stop the play'."

"I hit my head," Shakespeare growled back as screams from the patrons could be heard.

"He insults when he's upset." Rose tried to reassure the Bard, flashing a glare at the Doctor as Martha knelt down to examine the injury. "How is he?"

"He'll be alright," Martha said, standing and extending a hand for Shakespeare. He took it, and Rose's offered hand when it was presented to help him get to his feet.

The Doctor took off before Shakespeare was up, and the three of them scrambled to catch up with him.

The storm raged as badly inside the theatre as it had from the outside, though added to the crashes of thunder were the screeches and cackles of emerging carrionites. Rose squinted her eyes against the harsh wind and the strands of loose hair whipping against her face. She spotted the three carrionites up where she, the Doctor, and Martha sat the night before. The beautiful one's eyes fell on them, astonishment lighting up her face for a moment.

"Will," The Doctor shouted against the invasion. "History needs you."

"But what can I do?" He asked with a sense of defeat.

"Reverse it," The Doctor replied.

"How am I supposed to do that?" He asked.

The Doctor held on to Shakespeare's shoulders, forcing the Bard to look at him. "The Shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it."

"But what words? I have none ready." He said, glancing away from the Doctor to Rose and Martha.

Rose stepped forward, putting her hand on his arm next to the Doctor's. "You're William Shakespeare," She said with conviction. "You are the master of words. Words I don't always understand but there are beauty in them. Rhythm and magic, words that last for centuries, if not forever."

"Do it," the Doctor got his attention. "Trust yourself. Like magic, the right words will come. Improvise."

Shakespeare stepped away from them, moving center stage and looking up at the swirling mass. "Close up this den of hateful, dire decay. Decomposition of your witches' plot." He started off shakily. "You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not. Foul Carrionite specters, cease your show. Between the points," He paused in his words now filled with conviction, turning to the Doctor.

"7-6-1-3-9-0," The Doctor sprouted quickly.

"7-6-1-3-9-0," Shakespeare repeated, more slowly and eloquently. "And banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee …" He looked to the Doctor again.

"Expelliarmus!" Martha cried out, throwing a finger toward the Carrionite.

"Expelliarmus!" The three of them cried out, all pointing their fingers toward the carrionites above them.

"Good ol' JK," The Doctor beamed, putting his hands in his pockets as suddenly the Carrionites were being sucked back into the storm, the clouds changing and morphing into a twister. Sheets of paper fluttered toward it, whipping violently past them, one nearly catching on Rose's arm. " _Love's Labours Won_ , there is goes." The Doctor pointed out. His hand snaked into Rose's and with a tug, he pulled her back off stage just as the storm was dying down. They moved through the backstage, passing actors who had been cowering as best the could behind the curtain.

As they reemerged into the audience space, the Doctor led her up to the balcony seating, moving quickly to where the three carrionites had been sitting. All that remained was a crystal ball with something floating around inside it.

"What do you think," He asked her as he picked it up, showing her how the three carrionite they had seen were now pounding on the inside of the crystal. "Will this make a nice addition to the collection in the attic?"

Rose looked at him, her mouth twisting in amusement. "Attic?"

"Yeah."

"The TARDIS has an attic."

"Of course it does." He said, looking offended by her doubt. "It's where I keep all the fascinating but potentially dangerous stuff."

Rose shook her head. "Then yes, it will make an excellent addition."

He smiled, dropping an arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer as he looked out on to the stage.

"Martha was pretty great this trip, wasn't she?" He asked her.

"Mmm," She agreed reluctantly.

They watched as she and Shakespeare bowed with the actors, looking flirtatiously at one another.

"Maybe we should take her on another trip." The Doctor suggested, and Rose tensed against him.

"Another?" She asked, studying his face.

He shrugged. "One to the past, one to the future, balance it out. Hopefully give her a better experience. Maybe New New York."

"That's ours." Rose replied without thinking and immediately regretted it.

He turned to her with an arched brow. "The Universe is ours. All of time and space is ours, and you want to get possessive over one city?"

"It's just," She stammered, closing her eyes and shaking her head a little. "That was where we went when you first changed. It's where I knew for sure I'd …." She trailed off, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.

"Where you?" She heard the Doctor ask as if he knew what she was going to say and just wanted to coax it out of her.

She shook her head. "It's fine." She said instead. "New New York. Apple grass, fly cars, cat Doctors. I'm sure she'll love it."

"Rose?"

"It's fine. One more trip." She said, putting on a smile for him as she met his studious gaze.

"You sure?" he inquired, a storm of emotions in his brown eyes.

Rose's heart broke in multiple ways. She wanted him to herself, but could tell he really wanted Martha with them. But he was also terrified that his wanting to bring Martha on board was going to push her away, Rose could see that just as clearly. He wanted her to be happy, and he would sacrifice for her.

He already lost enough in his life, gave up so much of what he wanted for others. She'd be damned if he was going to give up something that made him happy because of her.

"Yeah," She said, allowing her voice to reflect the smile she put on, even if it was small and weak. "I mean, we'll see what she wants to do. I dunno, maybe she'd rather go home. But if she's up for one more, why not?"

The Doctor's face split in to wide, manic grin. Snaking an arm around her waist while still holding on to the crystal ball, he said, "Alright, Rose Tyler. Golden child. Let's go get our new companion and head back to the TARDIS."

He kissed her brow, causing a rush of contentment and joy to course through her and her breath to hitch. If he noticed, he didn't say anything.

Running his hand along her back until he ran out of area to touch, his finger tips glided down her arm until they hit her palm. He laced his fingers between hers in that perfect way that made her think she was made for him. Because it had always been that way, from the moment he said "run", his hand and hers fit perfectly. And while this body, this hand, was still a better fit than the last she couldn't deny that his previous self had caused her to come to the same realizations.

It made walking across the now empty stage where Shakespeare and Martha sat on the edge easier. It also made watching the Bard attempt to pull Martha in for a kiss a little better even though the Doctor dropped her hand just before Martha turned to see them.

"So my master piece is lost," Shakespeare said, eyes remaining on Martha for a moment longer before he turned to the Doctor.

"You could write it up again," Martha suggested.

"Best not, Will." The Doctor said quickly. "There are still power in those words."

"For the best," Shakespeare said. "I have new ideas. Perhaps I should write of fathers and sons in honor of my precious boy, Hamnet."

"Hamnet?" Martha gawked, which Rose wasn't sure why, since that was one of the few plays she actually recognized. "Ham-net." Martha repeated.

"Is there something wrong with that?" Shakespeare asked, furrowed brow.

"Just an odd name in Freedonia, is all." The Doctor said, stepping toward Martha and offering his hand. She took it, and he helped get her to her feet. "Which is where we should be heading back to. I'll stash the carrionites away where they can't harm anyone, and we'll be off."

"Through space and time," Shakespeare said with a nod. When the Doctor merely gapped at him with a slack jaw, Shakespeare chuckled. "You're from another world, like the carrionites, and Martha and Rose are from the future. It's not hard to figure out."

"That's incredible," The Doctor said, shaking his head in awe. " _You're_ incredible."

"And we must be off." Rose said, kneeling down and kissing Shakespeare on the cheek. "It was a pleasure, Mister Shakespeare." She said earnestly.

"To have you and fair Martha in my company these last days has been a pleasure indeed. But I feel as if I were to return such a gesture, I would not remain in the Doctor's good graces." Rose giggled, getting to her feet and returning to the Doctor's side. "Until we meet again, Doctor." He said over his shoulder.

"Until then," The Doctor said, turning around, leading the girls out the doors just as someone came barreling through the front yelling exclamations about the Queen being on her way.


	9. Gridlock

Rose collapsed on her bed in her Pajamas, clean of that 1599 smell and ready for a kip. It was agreed that they would rest before the next adventure, and while the Doctor showed Martha around the TARDIS and to a room, Rose went to her own. She had no idea what was being said, what was happening, and as unsettled as it made her she decided to go with it. Martha could be flirting, and the Doctor could be enjoying it, basking in the attention. Maybe even indulging the new companion in allowing her a hand hold or to stroke her hand on his arm, but there wasn't anything she could do about it.

Her bedroom door opened, and her eyes fell on the Doctor as he entered the room looking exhausted. Closing th door with a heavy sigh, he shrugged off his blazer. Setting it on her vanity chair, he drew Rose's attention as he loosened his tie before pulling it over his head. She sat up as he dropped it on top of his blazer before toeing off his trainers. He unbuttoned his sleeve cuffs, pushing them up as he moved for the bed. He slowly spread out over what had naturally became his side of the bed, laying flat on his stomach while his arm snaked around Rose's waist.

He pulled her, and with a yelp she was laying down beside him, head on her pillow, rolling on her side and facing his grinning face as he chuckled in his throat.

"Martha seems settled in," He said, closing his eyes. "Told her we'd take her to the future tomorrow to make up for the second bad run in with aliens in a row. She seemed excited."

"Did you tell her where?" Rose asked, feeling his fingers trace circles on a patch of exposed skin where her shirt had ridden up.

"No," He said, his voice sounding heavy with sleep. "Thought I'd leave that surprise for her to ponder." He said, his eyes falling shut.

Rose giggled. "Where's your Time Lord superior physiology?" She teased, sticking her tongue between her teeth as she grinned.

He rolled over and shifted closer, the length of his front pressed against hers. Her breath hitched at the unexpected closeness, his hand shifting lazily up her back beneath her shirt.

"Still need to sleep," He said groggily. "And having a heart stopped will tire you out." He shifted so his nose was near her hair, taking a deep breath.

"Doctor," Rose managed to choke out, her voice shaking.

He peeked at her before slowly opening his eyes in confusion. He shifted back to look at her better, and with that action he seemed to realize how they were situated. His hand withdrew, hovering in the air as if he was surrendering while he leaned away from her.

"Sorry," he said with fear in his wide brown eyes.

Rose reached for his sleeve and pulled him toward her, moving the hand to his back so their closeness was reestablished. He looked confused as he lowered his hand to rest on her hip. "It didn't bother me," She admitted. "Just surprised me."

He shifted his other hand from beneath the pillow, cupping her face. Tentatively he inched toward her, holding her eye until nearness made it impossible.

The Doctor only pecked her at first, but went back instantly for another, deeper kiss. She inhaled sharply as he parted his lips just a little more. He shifted, and he half rolled on her. Rose's hands slide around him, clutching the fabric of his shirt in her fists. Her stomach knotted, an ache that only he'd been able to stir in her screaming to be relieved as he shifted on her slightly. Rose wondered what happened, what she had done to bring this kind of passion out of him. The closest they ever came to this, and it wasn't all that close, was just after the hospital. Standing in the console room once he had a new pair of trainers on, just before he told her ….

Rose pulled back abruptly, trying to read what was behind his hooded eyes.

"Did you kiss her again or somethin'?" She asked him quietly, catching her breath.

His brow furrowed, and he rolled off her and on to his side. "What?"

"Martha."

"What?" He asked, his eyes searching before widening. "Oh," He clued in. "No, Rose, no. No, no, is that what you think?"

"Well s'just the last time."

"Last time," He started to say, shaking his head before rolling on to his back and digging the heels of his hands in his eyes. "That was a blunder, wasn't it? Snogging you and then telling you what I'd done." His hands fell to his sides, eyes remaining closed. "We don't even know what we're doing ourselves, do we? Never seem to just … and it's been going on since I've regenerated."

"Maybe even before." Rose said quietly, catching him by surprise. Dozens of questions danced in his eyes as his mouth wrapped around words that didn't come out. "We," She started to say, causing his mouth to snap shut. Licking her lips, trying to think, she focused on the buttons of his oxford. "We're." She tried again, and failing to think a coherent thought.

"Rose," He said softly, and she looked up to see it was now the Doctor's turn to avoid eye contact. "I'm sorry," He said. "I want, that is to say, but I can't." He stumbled, sighing. "Great big brain of mine and I can't find the simple words." He closed his eyes. "Slow." He said simply. "Very slow. I want to do this slowly." He opened his eyes, looking into hers with utter sincerity. "I don't want to steal a single kiss, give you any touch that I don't know for one hundred percent certain you want. And," He said, lifting a hand to silence her. "You won't always want it, not at first, not while we figure out what we are. Just now you were worried that there was an ulterior motive to my actions, and that's not acceptable."

"So what're you saying?" She asked him.

He smiled. "You're human," He said lovingly. "You're scent is stronger from the influx of pheromones, your pulse has quickened, your temperature is risen, and a primal instinct took over for just long enough that mistakes could have been made." He brushed her hair from her furrowed brow. "And all those factors, well, I may not be human but that doesn't mean I'm not affected by them. Especially knowing I'm the one causing it."

Rose laughed, ducking her head, resting it on his chest. "Oh you're fulla it." She teased.

He hummed in agreement, happy and light sounding, arm drifting around her but hand resting on her waist. "But all that said, I want every single step of this to be without hesitation or regret. I can think of so many times I regret _not_ showing you how much you mean to me that I can't bare a second of regret because I did. And right now, if I were to follow through on all those natural impulses I'd end up regretting it. Not because it was with you," He added to clarify. "But because you had a second of doubt about my intentions.

Rose wanted to argue, but she realized he was right.

She listened to the double rhythm of his hearts, feeling herself relax, and the lingering bits of lust in her system changed to tender affection. The rhythm slowed slightly, his hand resting heavier against her as he sighed. Peeking up, she saw his eyes had fallen shut and his face completely relaxed. He looked beautiful to her, always had. The one time she had seen his previous self fall asleep she'd thought the same thing.

Closing her eyes, she snuggled into him. Slow, slow was fine. Slow was a promise that this wasn't an itch needing to be scratched, or to make up for something he felt he did wrong with someone else. Slow meant anticipation that she'd gladly take now knowing they were working toward something stead of just playing cat and mouse.

* * *

 

He was gone when she woke up, not surprising.

Changing in to some jeans and pink t-shirt, she then grabbed her trainers and pulled them on before heading to the console room.

Rose was surprised to find he was not alone. He was rambling, and she caught part of the history lesson he had given her on New New York the last time they were there. It didn't have quite the same tone to it though. With her he had been relaxed, flirty even, but with Martha it sounded almost as if he was avoiding another conversation.

Martha was sitting on the jumpseat, old clothes back on except her jacket which was beside her. She was looking at the Doctor, watching him with intrigue that stirred the green monster inside Rose's chest. But only for a moment, because she somehow doubted that look would be there if Martha knew where the Doctor fell asleep.

"Ah, you're awake!" His voice pulled her attention to him, and she watched him smile as he flipped a switch and the TARDIS shook. "I've had the coordinates set for a while, waiting for you to drag yourself back to the world of the living."

She shot him a good natured glare before walking to the rail where his overcoat draped. Lifting, she slid out her black zipper jumper, pulling it on doing it up. "New New York," She beamed with false enthusiasm as she pulled her hair out from under the jumper. "Apple grass, flying cars, pure beauty."

"Exactly. Come on," The Doctor jumped about, grabbing the overcoat and throwing it on with flourish. "Martha, that means you. Up, up, up." He said, and Martha pulled herself off the jumpseat. She walked past them down the ramp, and the Doctor quickly followed. He waited for Rose to catch up before he pushed open the door and they stepped outside.

And were instantly greeted with a heavy down pour.

Even though her hair was already wet, Rose flipped the hood of her jumper over her head, drawing the zipper up higher. She looked around, taking in the high buildings of old brown brick, the dirty streets, the strange amount of structures that vaguely reminded her of dumpsters. Wrapping her arms around her self, thankful that her jumper was made from waterproof material from the twenty-fifth century, she shifted closer to the Doctor. "So much for apple grass." She mumbled

"Is this the Time Lord version of dazzling?" Martha asked as she zipped her coat up a little more and also stepped closer to the being in question.

"A little rain never hurt anyone." He said, flashing a smile down at each of them. "Come on, let's get under cover." He said, gesturing to an alcove a few feet off before heading toward it. Martha followed instantly, but Rose hesitated. She wanted apple grass, dammit, and the TARDIS was right behind her. Sighing, she reluctantly jogged to catch up to the others, ducking under the shelter with them.

"Looks like the same old Earth to me." Martha commented dryly.

"'S not." Rose said, shaking her head. "You can sense it. Different smell, taste to the air." She looked at the skeptical Martha. "And there's a screen in the wall over there. Don't have too many of those one Earth." She smiled with a her tongue between her teeth. The Doctor chuckled in his chest but Martha … Martha looked like she scoffed a little.

Rose looked away, down to the trash littered ground that she nudged with her toes. He heard the whir of the sonic, the static of television coming on, and then a clear, too chipper voice.

"And driving should be clear and easy with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway."

"Oh, that's more like it." The Doctor said cheerfully. She glanced over at the screen before turning her eyes up to him. He smiled down at her, "That's what we had last time. Must be in some sort of under city."

"We're in the slums?" Martha asked, and Rose looked back down to the ground.

"Much more interesting." The Doctor said, trying to raise morale. "It's all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city."

Martha giggled. "You'd enjoy anything."

"That's me," he said, and Rose heard him click his tongue. Rose snorted. "What?" He asked.

"Pears, mortgages, the idea of having to stay still at all." She gazed up at him from under her lashes.

"I don't think that's quite what she meant," He countered.

Like someone turning off a faucet, the rain stopped.

Despite the terrible looking surroundings, the air still had that strangely pleasant smell that comes after a down pour. Stepping away from the awkwardness that started to brew in alcove, Rose greeted the open space with her palms out. She closed her eyes and breathed deep. There was the undercurrent of smog, but she didn't care. Exhaling slowly, she put her hands in her pockets and paced a bit. While she heard a touch of minor irritation coming from the alcove, she turned and leaned against one of the dumpster like structures.

The top part flew up, nearly hitting her in the head as she stumbled out of the way.

"Oh!" A man said, startling Rose to where she swore under her breath. "You should have said. How long you been there? Happy? You want happy?"

"Wh-what?" She stuttered.

Suddenly all the dumpster like structures opened, and people were shouting various moods at her. She stumbled, backed away, hitting against a chest with a double heart beat. The Doctor lightly took her wrists as people continued to shout at them.

"Are they selling Drugs?" Martha asked, coming up beside them.

"I think they're selling moods." The Doctor countered.

"What for?" Rose asked, frowning at the vendors who tried to haggle other people passing by.

"Some people thrive off of a particular feeling. Stress, elation, anger, misery, Sadness, sometimes people just want to _feel_. They can't help it. Why else would anyone read, or watch, or listen to anything they knew will bring something powerful out in them? Good or bad, it can make them feel alive." He replied as Rose watched a young girl walking toward the area with purpose. She had her head bowed, peeking out from behind her hood every couple steps.

The girl approached a stale ran by one of the nicest seeming vendors, close enough to them that Rose could hear the conversation between she and the woman selling emotions.

"I want to buy forget," The girl said.

"I've got forget." The vendor replied with compassion. "What strength? How much you want forgetting"

"My mother and father went on the motorway." She replied.

The vendor nodded in understand before disappearing for a second. "Forget forty-three." She said, handing something over to the girl. "Two pence."

The girl handed the vendor something, likely money, and turned away.

Without thinking, Rose moved toward her, the Doctor close behind her.

"Sorry, but hold on a minute. What happened to your parents?" He asked her.

"They drove off." She replied.

Rose frowned. "With out you? Is that why you want to forget?"

The girl nodded slightly. "They couldn't bare the idea of taking me with them. Everyone goes to the motorway in the end, but it just wasn't my time to leave."

"But they might drive back," The Doctor reminded her.

The girl shook her head."I've lost them." And before Rose or the Doctor could stop her, the girl placed something on her neck.

Instantly all the grief melted away, and the girl looked as completely stoned.

"I'm sorry," She said, her voice rid of all sadness. "What were you saying."

"Your parents, you said they're on the motorway." The Doctor reminded her.

"Are they?" She said with an amused grin. "That's nice." She added, looking between Rose and the Doctor. "I'm sorry, I won't keep you." She walked away with her head held high, and a dreamy air to her step.

"So that's the human race in five billion years?" Martha said, and Rose looked over her shoulder to see her scowling. "Off their heads on chemicals?"

"Wasn't like that last time." Rose tried to reassure, looking back to where the girl had gone. "It was strange, but nothing like this."

As the Doctor opened his mouth to add to Rose's reply, Martha yelped behind them. Turning abruptly, Rose wasn't expecting to have woman pointing a gun in her face.

The Doctor yanked her behind him, but could make no move toward Martha or the man dragging her backward. She struggled against the man's hold, a brave face but fear in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, really. Really sorry. We just need three, that's all." He said despite Martha's protests to be freed.

"I'm sorry," The woman holding the gun said. "Really." She kept the gun pointed at them as she backed away to join the man with Martha. A door opened behind them, and they backed out, closing it behind them.

"Wait here," He said to Rose before darting after Martha and the others.

She grunted, about to protest, but he was gone before anything could be said. Growling, she kicked the ground.

"Could buy some happy," One of the vendors offered. "Or maybe some mellow? Relax ya."

She turned a narrow gaze his way. "No, thanks, mate." She said in as even as a voice as she could muster.

"Could make you forget your pain," He tried again. "Can't be fun to watch him run after the other."

"What's the point of all this?" Rose asked, whirling around and stomping toward him. "Why sell false emotions to people? Wha's the point in makin' 'em feel something that's not real?"

He shrugged, looking as though the question never crossed his mind. "Why not? Why let yourself feel anything short of content? Doesn't everyone want a life filled with only happy?" He asked in return.

"I wouldn't." Rose shook her head resolutely. "'N' I've had a harder life than I care to think about. But ya know what? I wouldn't change a thing. All those hard times make you stronger, fight harder. Makes the happy times happier." She strode up to the man who seemed perfectly ashamed of himself at the moment, trying to and failing at avoiding her gaze. "S'like the Doctor said, makes you feel alive."

"Those people, who were they?" She heard the man himself behind her, full on Oncoming Storm in his demeanor and tone. "Where did they take her?"

"They've taken her to the motorway," The vendor closest to him replied.

"Looked like carjackers," Another added in.

"I'd give up now, darling. You won't see her again." Added a third.

"He kept saying three, we need three. What did he mean?" The Doctor asked, and Rose slowly made her way over to him.

"It's the car sharing policy. Saves fuel." The second vendor replied. "You get special access if you're carrying three adults."

"This motorway, how do I get there?" He demanded, and now that she was closer to him she could see the fury and panic in his eyes. His hands were in fists at his sides, his whole body rigid.

"Straight down the alley, keep going to the end. You can't miss it." The same vendor answered with a happy demeanor.

He turned his gaze to Rose, and she jumped back ever so slightly at it. "Go to the TARDIS," He instructed with no room for argument.

It didn't stop her from trying. "Why?"

"Because it's dangerous."

She scoffed, "'S always dangerous."

"Rose," He said through clenched teeth. "For once, just once, listen to me. I don't know why they took her, and everyone keeps talking of the motorway as if it's some kind of hell. I can't worry about you while I try and rescue Martha. Not this time."

Her jaw tensed, and she was sure she was probably meeting his fierce gaze with equal power, but she nodded once. Crossing her arms, she strode past him, back toward the TARDIS.

Rose heard the faint voice of a vendor in the background.

"Word of advice." The Doctor's raised voice made her stop, looking over her shoulder to see him addressing the vendors. "All of you cash up, close down, and pack your bags. Because as soon as I've found my friend alive and well, and I will find her alive and well, then I'm coming back. And this street is closing tonight." He stormed in the direction he was given without another word.

"Can," the vendor nearest her asked with a shaky voice. "Can he really do that?"

"Seen him take down the British government with six words." Rose replied, a small smirk playing on her lips as she folded her arms. "What do you think?"

She didn't wait for the reply as she continued back to the TARDIS, hoping the whole time she wasn't going to be greeted by another hologram ready to send her away.

* * *

 

Martha had immediately regretted telling the Doctor she wanted to see the same things Rose had. If she was getting cocktails and glitter, then Martha wanted them too. She knew how she sounded the second she walked away from him, how she acted, and when she stole a glance at Rose she had been happy to find th blonde pointedly not paying attention.

But as soon as the three of them were distracted by the emotional drug dealers was her guard dropped and she was taken, drugged, and found herself in a car with the potential of not seeing the Doctor or Rose for another six years.

Fast Lane her arse.

At least Cheen and Milo were nice, as far as kidnappers were concerned. The parents-to-be were just trying to get to a better life as fast as they could, and while they may have gone about it in entirely the wrong way, Martha understood.

It didn't mean she had to like it.

No sooner was this daily contemplation over did an electronic voice announce that they had Fast lane access.

"We made it!" Milo cried out victoriously. Cheen grinned, turning to Martha with excitement.

"Just another six years to go." Martha said with a fake smile and unenthusiastic fist pump.

"Look on the bright side," Cheen tried to console. "By then that guy and the blonde may have broken up."

"Huh?" Martha asked.

"Oh, stop." Cheen waved it off, giving Martha a little smack on the knee. "You say friend with reverence. We were stalking you for a bit before we snagged you, we saw the way the two of you bickered. And who knows, maybe us taking you will help him realize what he lost."

"Why did you take me and not her?" Martha asked, grudgingly wondering for a moment if the Doctor was even going to come for her. Had it been Rose, well, maybe he would have. Okay, so probably.

She said he was all she had left in the Universe, so maybe he'd feel obligated. But then again, no one would be looking for her.

Six years, she would change too much. Time machines wouldn't reverse aging, so someone would have to notice the difference when she got home.

If no one was looking for Rose, no one would notice if he didn't just pop over and grab her after the six years were up.

"She looked too young." Milo answered her question, snapping her out of her daydream. "We didn't want to risk being denied because she didn't look quite of age."

Martha nodded. "Still, may have been better for me though." She smirked, and Cheen giggled.

"Junctions are coming up," Milo said, tapping the screen. "Let's see what the best one to get us to Brooklyn would be.

* * *

 

Rose walked into the TARDIS, and the old girl slammed the door shut behind her. Looking up at the ceiling, she immediately felt the ships mutual annoyance at the Doctor leaving her behind.

"So you think he was being irrational too, don't ya?" She asked patting one of the coral struts. The ship dimmed and Rose felt something like agreement in her mind.

Walking up the ramp, she headed for and plopped down in the jump seat, swinging her legs, reluctant to sit any other way with the wet hems of her pants. She blew at her bangs as she gazed up at the time rotor.

"Looks like I need to just hold tight and wait," She said to the TARDIS. "Just you and me."

The TARDIS nudged her mind, something reminding Rose of a shoulder bump, and she blinked. A second later, the nudge came harder, and Rose felt like her mind was expanding. She felt warmer from within, and she quickly looked down at her hands.

They weren't glowing.

Sighing with relief, Rose wasn't as apprehensive about the odd feelings anymore.

Another nudge in her mind, and she was on her feet, moving to the console like someone was physically pushing her toward it. She studied the console controls, and a weird sense of _knowing_ started to fill that space in her mind that was expanding.

"I don't know how to fly you." She said quietly.

The memory hit her mind's eye with force.

_The heart of the TARDIS has entered her mind, filled her soul, and she relished it. Comradery like she'd never known coursed through her, a feeling of trust and protection wrapping around her soul. She was loved by this wonderful ship, and their mutual love for the Time Lord meant they could not be stopped now._

_But they had to hurry, and she knew that._

_Moving up around the console, it all came naturally. The TARDIS guided her to the controls that were needed, sent Rose images of what she was supposed to press or shift, and she followed the ship's instructions._

" _We're coming for you, our Doctor." She said as she sent the ship into the vortex._

Rose gasped, suddenly needing to catch her breath as that warmth radiated in her brain. She clutched her hair as if it would prevent her mind from burning up, and she sank down to her knees.

What just happened?

The TARDIS stroked her mind soothingly, sending reassurance to her in mass quantities. She would not let Rose burn, not for a second, not ever. Not so long as she was in control. With that comfort, Rose pulled herself up with the help of the console.

Without a second thought, she flipped a switch. Moving around, she pressed buttons seemingly at random, made adjustments, checked other settings, and then ran around to send them on her way.

And then she paused.

"I don't know what I'm doing," She said, squinting her eyes. The TARDIS hummed in disagreement. "Seriously, I know how to fly you?" She asked the walls, and the walls concurred with a cheery flicker of the lights. "And did I know this when we were stuck on a space ship while the Doctor was gallivanting in France?" She asked, hands on her hips as she looked around the console room.

The lights dimmed. In Rose's mind she saw a flicker of herself twisting on the floor at the mercy of the racknoss in the Torchwood lab.

"That did it, then?" She said, and the TARDIS sort of grumbled a yes. Then she put an image in Rose's mind that didn't happen. That had she and Mickey waited inside the TARDIS for the Doctor she would have sent them back to the estate. And for some reason, Rose knew the ship was not pleased about being programmed to do that.

"That's fine," Rose reassured with a stroke on the console. "But I still can't read Gallifreyan, and I have no idea how to set coordinates." She huffed, looking up at the ship's ceiling with a sly grin. "But you can do that part, can't you girl? You can set it to when the Doctor finds Martha."

She heard something twisting, and Rose watched as the dials moved on their own accord. When they stopped, Rose put her hand on the switch.

Smirking, she gave it a push. "Allons-y." She murmured to her self as she felt the ship dematerialize.

* * *

 

The stark realization as she faced the possibility of oxygen starvation or death by alien for the second time in three days had hit Martha hard. She trusted the Doctor even though she knew nothing about him, truly believed he would rescue her without a second thought, and worst of all that she was extremely infatuated with the alien.

Her heart soared as his face lit up the screen, calling out to the car she was in. Her face split into a grin she couldn't relax if she tried, and she blushed to the point where a light sheen came to her cheeks.

"And car Four Six Five Diamond Six," He said as he finished encouraging all the cars to fly up. "I'm sending you a flight path. Come to the Senate."

She had lunged for the transmitter, and Cheen and Milo hid their grins as she peered at the monitor. "On my way." She said.

The Doctor's face split into a grin that lit up his eyes, and it was the best. The absolute best, that is, until he spoke. "It's been quite a while since I saw you, Martha Jones." He said in a way that made her feel special, cherished, important.

And like Rose was in no way without some competition.

Milo followed the coordinates, dropping Martha off at the senate entrance.

"Go get him," Cheen said with a wink.

"Thank you, and good luck with your little one." Martha said with a wave before turning and running into the senate.

She was momentarily set back in her joy when she had to side step a skeleton, noting that there were others around her. But once she was around it and she caught the sound of shoes echoing toward her, her heart began to race once more.

He stepped around the corner, hands in his pockets, and stopped. After a beat, his face split into that smile again, and she ran toward the Doctor. She jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck, and he laughed as he hugged her back.

"Did you think I would leave you or something?" He asked her as set her down.

"Never doubted it. Not once." She said, leaning back to look into those deep brown eyes.

"Oh," He said, his smile perking up again. "That's a nice change."

She went to hold him closer when a grinding noise filled the air around them, and the Doctor's face scrunched in confusion.

The TARDIS materialized a few feet away, and he let Martha go completely to turn and stare at the ship with utter shock.

And Martha was completely disappointed when the door opened, and Rose stepped out of the box with her jeans and hair still damp and a smug grin on her face.

* * *

 

"How?" Was the word that escaped the Doctor's mouth when she stepped out to where ever they were now. Martha looked as if she'd been grinning ear to ear just a moment before, standing close enough to the Doctor for Rose to piece together that she had probably just been found.

"How do you think?" Rose asked, crossing her arms and trying to remain completely serious. "I flew here."

"How?" The Doctor repeated, seeming unable to move.

Rose shrugged. "Just knew." She said, her gaze focused on her damp trainers. "Only thing I wasn't certain how to do were the coordinates, and the TARDIS helped with that."

She heard the Doctor rush toward her, felt his grip tight on her shoulders. Lifting her head like a guilty child, she met his unreadable gaze. "How did you know how to fly the TARDIS?" He repeated, his voice devoid of pride, joy, anything that didn't seem like she had just committed a crime.

"I remembered how." She said quietly. "I remembered … from the last time I had to fly her to get to you."

His Adam's apple bobbed for a moment, and there was a quiver to his features that sort of scared her.

"Doctor," Someone called behind them, and it was enough of a distraction to pull his eyes off of her. He took off, and in the absence of his presence she could see Martha standing there staring. She blushed, likely realizing she'd been caught, but was quick to avoid Rose's gaze like she hadn't wanted to be associated with the trouble maker.

As their companion took after the Doctor, Rose swallowed back the need to cry. Was it really so bad that she came to him? To them?

Shaking her head, she followed them.

Entering the room, Rose clasped her hand over her mouth to cover the gasp as she took in the Face of Boe outside the tank that contained him, and the Doctor and Martha leaning down beside him. There was a cat Nurse standing near the Doctor, looking near tears at the giant head.

" _Rose Tyler, you've come as well."_ The Face of Boe said in her head, and she flinched back before willing herself to go to him.

"How did you know my name?" She asked, a hand reaching out and stroking one of the tentacle like things nearest her.

The Face of Boe closed his eyes, and there seemed to be a faint smile on his lips. _"The touch of an angel is not easily forgotten. We have met before, many times. Though I'm afraid this will be my last."_

"Don't say that." The Doctor said, his voice tender. "Not old Boe. Plenty of life left."

" _It's good to breathe the air once more,"_ The Face of Boe sighed. _"As it is to be surrounded by friends in the end. I have seen so much, perhaps too much. And I have kept secrets for far too long. Secrets I now want to share with you."_

"Secrets're overrated," Rose said, tearing up as she felt genuine love for this giant head that she couldn't explain. "May as well keep'em to yourself a bit longer, yeah?"

The Face chuckled weakly inside her head. _"You're one to talk."_ He said in a way that was so familiar it sent a jolt through her. _"I do have some comfort I can give you, my dear. It is said that so long as he wanders, so too shall the wolf."_ She glanced over at the Doctor, but he didn't seem to hear it.

"She's right," The Doctor said as if nothing else was exchanged, confirming her suspicions. "You have some more life left in you. You can hold on."

" _I am not so lucky. I have reached the end. But be warned, Time Lord, that danger is coming. And know that you are not alone."_ And with that, the Face of Boe's eyes closed as he took a shuddering breath.

Rose smiled, tears running down her face as she looked over at the Doctor. His eyes glistened with grief and wonder. She could only assume that the Face of Boe's final words were meant to be something private for the Doctor, as her message from him was, but maybe the poor thing couldn't mute his telepathy in the end. Regardless, the spark in her Doctor's eyes made her heart swell despite the strange, heartbreaking loss she felt.

* * *

 

Martha walked beside the Doctor, admiring the look of satisfaction he wore as he gazed around the closed down Pharmacy town. It was the happiest she'd seen him since Rose landed the TARDIS in the senate, and Martha was happy to have had a hand in something that put the smile back in his eyes.

"Been quite a day," She said lightly, and he nodded and hummed in agreement. "Can't say I will ever complain about traffic again, knowing how long some people had been stuck in their cars." She added, taking his arm in hopes to get his attention.

"Yeah, but you humans will always find something to complain about. Actually, I suppose complaining isn't limited to humans, but you lot do do it brilliantly." He said gazing up at the newly open sky above. "And you always have someone who understands, always at least one of your fellow man who feels the same way." He glanced down at her, smile held though it was hiding something. Worry, maybe?

"What did he mean, the Face of Boe? That danger is coming?"

The Doctor smirked, though his eyes grew more trouble. "With me? Danger is always coming. Seems that way anyway. Always seem to run into Daleks, or Cybermen, or crab like aliens that feast off polluted air." He said, and she had to chuckle at his defensive humor.

A moment later she sobered. "But he said, 'you are not alone.' Of course you're not alone, you have me." She paused as his smile faded. "And Rose. So why would he say that?"

"I don't know." He lied.

"Yes you do," She said softly, hoping that maybe he would tell her. When all he did was smile and turn away, making a B-line for the TARDIS parked by one of the former stales she scoffed and shook her head. "Bet Rose knows." She mumbled.

"Sorry?" He asked politely, obviously unaware that he wasn't meant to hear.

Martha crossed her arms. "I said, 'I bet Rose knows.'" She replied.

He furrowed his brow as if he had to think about it. "I'm not sure I understand."

Martha looked around her, finding a metal folding chair that seemed to have been neglected by someone leaving in a hurry. Who knew what was on it, but she righted it and sat in it anyway. "You and she have traveled together for a while, and it's constantly there, her knowing more about you than I do. If he didn't mean she and I, than what did he mean? Why would he even say that? How is it a secret that you are not alone?" She rambled on.

They stayed silent staring each other down in a contest that neither knew the rules to. Around them the city was singing a hym similar to the one Martha heard during their daily contemplation. Some how it strengthened her resolve while the Doctor's whithered. He glanced over at the TARDIS before sighing heavily, picking up another discarded chair and sitting down across from her.

"I lied to you, 'cause I liked it. I could pretend, just for a bit, that they were still alive underneath a burnt orange sky." His head hung. "I'm not just a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords."

"Does … does Rose know?" She asked.

He nodded. "Oh yes." He said, "She knows everything. Our first trip out was to watch Earth burn. Back then I wanted her to understood how it felt, because I didn't realize she had such a strong sense of empathy. After that I brought her back to London for some perspective, and she asked me about Gallifrey as we ate chips on a park bench overlooking the Thames. Simple questions about a place she would never see. Over time, as we traveled together, she'd ask on occasion, or I'd make an absentminded comparison. I'm pretty sure I've detailed complete continents to her without even realizing it."

"What happened?" Martha asked quickly, steering the topic of conversation back where it needed to go.

He sighed. "There was a war. A Time War. The last Great Time War. My people fought a race called the Daleks, for the sake of all creation. And they lost. Everyone lost. They're all gone now. My family, my friends, even that sky."

"Tell me about it?" She asked gently, reaching across the space between them, taking his hand.

He looked at it for a good, solid minute, and Martha's heart started to pound as she waited for what he may do next.

'The second sun would rise in the south, and the mountains would shine." He said in a dreamy tone that caused her to smile, listening to his every word like it was the key to everything. She listened to him tell her details of the planet that sounded more like a fairy tale than anything that could possibly be real. But then he smiled, and that was all it took for her to realize a place like that had to have existed for someone as beautiful as him to be brought into creation.

* * *

 

Rose sat on the jumpseat hugging a knee to her chest as she nervously waited for her Time Lord to unleash what ever had been brewing behind his eyes when she landed the TARDIS. He and Martha went to shut down Pharmacy Town, the place they arrived at in the first place, and had been taking far longer than she had expected them to. She could have simply got up and peeked outside, but she didn't dare to. Didn't dare see what might happen or what she might see or hear.

So she waited, heart pounding despite the TARDIS sending her reassuring vibes.

When the doors finally opened her head snapped up, and she watched as Martha walked up the ramp with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Goodnight, Rose." She said with a wave, and Rose blinked back.

Martha was gone before she could respond.

She looked to the Doctor as he came up the ramp slowly, a wistfulness in his brown eyes as he stopped part way toward her and leaned with his hip against the console. His hands were buried deep in his pockets, and his head turned toward the corridor.

"She asked to see Gallifrey this morning." He said after an intense amount of silence. "And I lied to her. Told her I just didn't want to go instead of the truth like I had told you. I lied so easily to her, and I think she figured me out somewhere along the way. She asked outside what Boe meant. 'You are not alone'. She assumed that it was because I have her. And you, of course." He added, almost as if an afterthought, but Rose supposed if this was really what happened she would have been to Martha. "Maybe she's right, but she could still tell I didn't believe that, and that I was hiding something." He shifted around the console, coming to stand in front of her but still wouldn't look at her. "I lied to her, but I was honest with you in an instant. First trip out, not even a full day after I just met you, and I was spilling everything to you. Discussed my planet over chips like we were talking about a park down the road. That body kept everything locked up, but not with you. Never with you. Not if I didn't think it would send you running. So I have to wonder what you could have possibly been thinking, risking burning up just to fly the TARDIS to me, when you are the only being in the universe who knows who I am." He finally looked up and met her eye, pain, fear, and anger looking back at her.

"I didn't risk burning." She replied firmly. "Just came back to me."

"How?" He asked.

"Can't explain it." She partially snapped. "I did what you asked, I came back inside, sat down, and she … nudged me. In my mind, she helped me unlock the memories." She watched his gaze soften just a little. "And then I just knew. Was like second nature."

"What did it feel like?" He asked gently. "When she unlocked those memories." He added, flashing a scowl at the ceiling.

The corner of Rose's mouth twitched up for a second. "Warm, safe. Like my mind grew to make room for it."

At that the Doctor straightened, hands out of his pockets, eyes wide. "What?" He asked.

"I know you heard me." She replied evenly.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, yanking her off the jumpseat and pulling her down the hall. He cursed in what she was assuming was Gallifreyan the whole way, turning those curses and a scowl toward the ceiling. The TARDIS would hum back in a growl, and Rose felt bad for mentioning any of it. The Doctor pushed the door to the medbay open, allowing it to slam against the wall before he tugged Rose over to the flat bed scanner he had used on her after their meeting with Donna.

"Get on, now." He demanded as he moved to the computer.

With a sigh, she obeyed. The TARDIS tried to sooth her agitation, but the poor ship was still warring with her captain in hums to his alien tongue.

Rose waited, letting the machine pass over her, feeling the energy tickle her skin with each pass, pulling that sensation deeper into her body as it dug deeper into her anatomy. When it stopped, she sat up, though this time she didn't join the Doctor to read them. He'd stopped cursing at one point, had put on his specs, and seemed to have picked up her bad habit of biting her thumb. She watched as his brow would pull together for a second before softening, how he hit the keyboard aggressively at first but with less conviction as the seconds ticked by. Eventually his whole body sagged, his glasses came off, and he looked at Rose with an apologetic expression.

"So?" She asked.

"You're not going to burn." He admitted quietly. "There are a couple changes. Your processing power has gone up a little," he said, tapping his head for emphasis. "Different parts of your brain have sort of woken up. And your … life expectancy has increased a little." He smiled sadly. "You get another fifty years, Rose Tyler. Be nearly two hundred before you go on your last adventure now."

"So why do you look like the world is about to end?" She asked him.

"Because I'm an idiot." He confessed whole heartedly. "When you showed up in the senate, all I could think of was the Game Station. All I saw for a few fleeting seconds was you walking out of here with the Vortex around you and I was terrified. When I took the Vortex out of you, I didn't take your memories with it. I think she, Bad Wolf, sealed those away herself."

"So you intended me to remember you kissing me?" She interrupted him, smiling slyly with her tongue between her teeth as his head jerked in surprise.

He cleared his throat, looking away and pulling at his ear, scratching his side burn. "Well, intentions are, that's to say I wasn't going to make you forget but I was pretty sure you wouldn't… hold on," he said, looking at her. "How long have you remembered that?"

"Only since the whole Huon thing." Rose shrugged. "Came back to me."

He fidgeted. "What else do you remember?"

Her eyes widened. "What else did we do?"

He grinned, wide and manic, and she was truly terrified of the answer. "Nothing, Rose." He reassured. "I kissed you, but that was all there was. I promise."

"Okay, good." She said, the relief palatable. "So what now?" She asked him.

He shrugged. "You missed the whole thirteen hours Martha and I were stuck on the motorway." He said, and her jaw dropped. "I don't need to sleep, and you don't exactly need it considering you skipped over the day."

"So?" She asked.

He stood up, walking with a bit of swagger toward her. He offered his hand, and she took it curiously. He led her back out into the console room, keeping her hand in his as brought her over to the coordinate input. He stayed silent for a few seconds, then looked over to Rose with an affectionate grin. "You shouldn't have trouble reading it now." He said, and Rose looked down to see that what was previously all circles and dots and lines was now easy to read English. "I'm still Captain." He said to her seriously.

"I know." She grinned.

"I'm the one that flies her, you're more of a co-polite."

"'Kay," She said, her tongue poking out between her teeth.

He grinned wider. "Don't give me that look, Rose Tyler. You are not, under most circumstances, to pilot this ship. You hear me?"

She pulled her lips into her mouth, swallowing the laugh and putting on her most serious expression. "Yes sir, captain sir." She said with a half-hearted salute.

"Good." The Doctor said, stepping away from the console. "Now, let's see your skills. Quick pit-stop to, oh, let's see. How about Paris, France. May, 1889. Eiffel tower is brand new, used as a gateway to the World Fair. We can find ourselves a nice little bistro, have some dinner, take in the view."

"You want me to take us out for a date then?" Rose asked, brow arched.

He grinned cheekily. "Only if you can land in the right time." He teased. "And no helping her," He said sharply to the ceiling. "I'm still mad at you."

Rose giggled, setting the coordinates before dancing around the console. When the ship landed with a gentle thud, the Doctor strode down the ramp, pulling the door open. Rose could see the tower from where she was.

"Not bad." He conceded, grinning with pride. He stuck his arm out to her, "Shall we, Mademoiselle?"

She skipped down to him, taking his arm. "Allons-y," She winked, and he chuckled in his throat as he led her out the door into the Paris night.


	10. Daleks in Manhattan pt 1

She dreamed of fine French food, sipping wine with her handsome Time Lord while gazing at the fully lit Eiffel Tower. The night they landed on was perfect, not overly cool but refreshing compared to the atmosphere of New New York. They strolled around the streets of Paris, and she had listened to him ramble off the city's history happily. It was perfect, truly perfect. And what made the dream better was that it was more than that. Rose was remembering.

They hadn't been out more than a few hours, returning to the TARDIS well before Martha would wake up. They stayed in the console room, snuggling together on the jumpseat, getting in a few playful, tender kisses before the affects from the wine made Rose want nothing more than to take a quick kip. She fell asleep on the Doctor's shoulder, or at least that's what she thought until she stirred awake and found herself looking at his empty side of the bed.

"Oh good, you're awake." His voice came from the doorway, and she sat up in the bed. "I was hoping you weren't going to be asleep too much longer, the TARDIS alerted me that Martha will be waking up soon." She watched the Doctor move toward her, cup of tea in hand and changed into the blue suit that he seemed to fancy these days.

She took the mug gratefully, scooting a little to make room for him to sit down next to her.

"How long have I been out?" Rose asked, blowing on the steaming hot liquid before taking a sip.

"Only a couple hours." He replied, laying back against the pillows with his hands behind his head. "Sorry about moving you, I didn't want you to get a neck cramp." He said, looking to the bed briefly.

She grinned, noting how he seemed to have a hard time looking her in the eye. "So," She said, looking into the milky-brown liquid. "I already know what you're going to suggest."

"You do?" He asked curiously, narrowing his gaze in thought.

She nodded with a sad grin. "So where were you planning on taking her?"

The Doctor's eyebrows hit his hairline, and he seemed genuinely taken aback. "I thought we could take her to New York." He said with a bit of surprise in his voice. "Your Earth's New York." He clarified. "Our last trip, promise."

Rose smirked, shaking her head, looking around the room. "So what was supposed to be my last trip?" She asked. "Was it before or after I tried to save my father?"

"I never had a last trip planned for you." He replied immediately. "I don't intend to. Ever." He said with conviction that made Rose give him a genuine half smile. "But since you already figured me out," He said, leaping off the bed and on to his feet in that inhuman way he could move, and stuck a hand out to help her up. "Let's get back to the console room and wait for her. Get the Old girl ready for when Martha is."

"Can I drive?" Rose asked as he helped her to her feet.

"No," He said immediately before darting out her bedroom. Or was it more their bedroom now? In retrospect they had shared it for over a month, so maybe it wasn't just her space anymore. Rose didn't mind at all if that happened to be the case.

She was much slower getting to the console room, returning to where she was on the jumpseat before falling asleep. Sitting Lotus style, she sipped her tea as she watched the Doctor practically dance around the console.

"What are you doing?" She asked him.

He paused, looking at her like was obvious. "Getting ready." He replied.

"You make it look like you need to do the little jog 'round her." Rose realized, smirking as she lifted the cup to hide her grin.

"Oi, no backseat piloting." He said, continuing on and not noticing Martha entering the room behind him. And Martha, it seemed, didn't notice Rose.

Taking in the sight of their companion watching the Doctor adoringly made Rose blush. She imagined she probably looked like that often with her first Doctor. Enough that Jack frequently teased her about it. And while Martha was older than Rose in a few ways, she felt eons more mature than the almost-doctor in that moment despite the jealous snarl that tried to pull at her lips.

"Morning, Martha Jones." The Doctor said as he finished his lap around the console with flourish, coming to a stop in front of Martha with a manic grin and his hands in his pockets. "Sleep well?" He asked.

"Seems the best sleep I've had in a while has been on this ship." She admitted.

"Excellent, well, if you're ready it's off to our next destination." He said, bolting to the switch. "Are you?" He asked her again.

"Incredibly," Martha said, her grin stretched as far as it could go.

The Doctor flicked the switch, and the TARDIS rocked gently about before landing with a shudder.

"Where are?" Martha asked, looking between the doors and the Doctors.

"Go have a look." He said, and Martha didn't need to be told twice.

He grabbed his long coat from the rail, throwing it on over his shoulders and turned to Rose expectantly.

She grinned, setting her nearly empty cup on the jumpseat before hopping up. She went to grab the hooded jumper she had worn yesterday only to find the black garment now felt like leather on her palm. The TARDIS must have changed out her jacket while they were down in the bedroom.

She sent a mental thanks to the ship who hummed happily in reply as Rose pulled on the jacket and joined the Doctor. He grinned contentedly before taking her hand and leading her outside.

"Where are we?" Martha asked as they joined her.

Maybe it was obvious because the Doctor had told her the plan, but Rose couldn't help but snort at Martha for simply not turning around. Because how could anyone not sense something incredibly tall and looming statue at their back?

"Smell that Atlantic breeze," The Doctor said pointedly, taking a deep breath. When Martha didn't seem to catch on, he asked, "Martha, have you met my friend?" And gestured behind them.

She finally looked up behind them.

"Is that?" She asked, hands over her mouth.

No, it's a replica, Rose thought to herself. Welcome to New, New, New York. But that was rude, even just as a thought, and Rose swallowed back the guilt before anyone could even pick up on it.

"Oh my god, that's the statue of Liberty." Martha stated the obvious.

"Gateway to the New World," The Doctor said. "'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to break free.'"

"That's so brilliant." Martha exclaimed. "I've always wanted to go to New York. I mean, the real New York. Has Rose …" At the mention of her name, Rose leaned around the Doctor, and Martha noticed her apparently for the first time. "Oh, didn't see you there." She said with a hint of disappointment in her voice. "I take it you've been here before then."

"No," Rose shook her head. "First time in the original for me too." She said.

"May be the original New York, but New York was not its original name. Started out as New Amsterdam, but that wouldn't have been quite as catchy. Couldn't write a song about it, that's for sure. But here it is, girls, the genuine article." He walked toward the water's edge, pulling Rose along. She couldn't help but notice it was the longest they'd held hands in Martha's presence since her arrival.

"So are we just going to take in the skyline from here?" Martha asked, holding herself tightly. "Or are we actually going into the city?"

"To the city, of course" The Doctor replied. "Catch the Ellis Island ferry over and take in the sights.

"Couldn't just land the TARDIS over there?" Rose asked, arching a brow.

"Oh, what would be the fun in that?" He asked her, looking down at her with a grin. "People who came to New York to start a new life passed through Ellis Island before getting to the main city."

"So this is where you're leaving me, then?" Rose teased, looking up at him with his favorite grin.

"Don't even joke about that." He said sternly with a grin. "Come on, ferry's this way."

The Doctor was right, where would have been the fun in simply hopping in the TARDIS and landing somewhere on the island of Manhattan? Then there would be no wind on Rose's face, blowing back her hair and making her feel invigorated. And when they arrived, there would be no rides in a cab from what had to be before the nineteen fifties to a dinner somewhere uptown.

"When did you get money?" Rose asked as the three of them were left with menus by their waitress.

"Well," The Doctor said, drawing out the word. "I've been in these parts before. Can't exactly sonic a cash point, or use psychic paper as credit so the last time I was here I used it to withdraw a rather obscene amount of money from the bank. Kinda keep it tucked away in the TARDIS for times like this. And since I was already planning this to be our next stop."

"Man keeps American cash in the TARDIS but still owes me ten quid for a bet made over a year ago." Rose mumbled, peeking at him across the table from behind the menu. He only smiled and shook his head.

"When are we anyway?" Martha asked quietly, leaning into him so her head was practically on his shoulder.

"Good question." The Doctor said, furrowing his brow. "I noticed the Empire State building still had a couple floors to go, so we're probably around the nineteen thirties." He said, turning toward Martha but didn't seem surprised to find her so close.

Rose set down her menu, already aware that she was going to be getting chips, then got on her knees to look in the booth behind them.

It was empty except some empty coffee cups, a couple plates with crumbs on it, and a newspaper on the bench. Adjusting her position, she bent over the bench to snatch the paper off the red vinyl seat. She turned and flopped back down into the seat in one fluid motion, handing the paper over to the Doctor who instantly avoided eye contact and scratched at his side burn. He took the paper with a throat clear, pulling Martha's attention from the menu.

"November 1st, 1930," She read over the Doctor's shoulder before smiling up at him. "Oh, you're good."

When the Doctor didn't give a smug response, and his brow furrowed, Rose instantly worried. "What's wrong?" She asked him.

"I wasn't really planning on us staying very long," He said, turning the paper headline out for the girls to see. "But I think we may just have to."

In big, bold black letters along the top it read _Hooverville Mystery Deepens._

"What's Hooverville?" Rose asked.

"You guys ready to order?" Their waitress came back around with a cheerful smile, pen and pad ready.

"May I get the breakfast platter, please?" Martha said to the waitress with a smile.

She nodded, jotting it down then looking to Rose. "Just chips, errr." She said.

"Don't worry hun, we get you English in 'ere enough for me to know what ya mean." She said with a smile and jotted it down. "Whatta 'bout you, handsome?" She said, turning to the Doctor.

"Oh, I'm good, thanks." He said, barely looking up from the paper to smile at her.

The waitress simply nodded and went back to the kitchen.

"So what is Hooverville?" Martha asked, now that they were alone again.

The Doctor took a deep breath, setting the paper down. "Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States, came to power a year ago. Up 'til then New York was a boom town, the Roaring Twenties, and then …."

"The Wall Street crash," Martha interrupted the lecture. "That was 1929, yeah?"

He nodded with a grin. "Yeah. Whole economy wiped out overnight. Thousands of people unemployed. Suddenly the huddled masses doubled in number with nowhere to go."

"What happened to them?" Rose asked, pushing back the unsettling feeling that crept along her skin.

"They built a city of sorts in the middle of central park." He replied, his eyes falling on the paper in front of him.

"Always wanted to see Central park, me." Rose said with as much cheer as she could muster, smiling for good measure. She glanced up, seeing the waitress coming around with their food. "Will have a bite and head on over, yeah?" She said, glancing at Martha who was too busy looking at the Doctor to notice anything else until her food was set in front of her.

At that, the conversation was put on hold.

* * *

 

The pictures Rose had seen of central park were always majestic, beautiful, and making her feel as though it was it's own little world in the heart of the city it belonged to. Never had she considered how that would be true in the worst way.

Tents and little sheds were erected in such a way that it looked like an orderly community. Fire barrels were set up a little more randomly, but always off to the side in between the makeshift homes. Laundry hung on lines, and people moved about their daily lives. It reminded Rose of the middle ages, the way the lower class villagers lived, yet these folks all looked clean and relatively put together if not severely bundled to keep the cold off.

Life had never got this bad, but it was close. The amount of empathy it provoked tightened Rose's throat, and she clutched on to the Doctor's hand like it was a life line.

"I honestly didn't believe you," Martha said in disbelief. "Truly."

"Ordinary people who lost their jobs," The Doctor said, as they slowly entered the settlement. "Couldn't pay the rent, and they lost everything. There are places like this all over America. You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go." He said, giving Rose a tiny tug and bringing her closer to him.

She rested her head on his arm, and not for the first time she wondered how much he actually knew of her life outside of what she told him.

"You thievin' lowlife." A man shouted, and scuffle broke out a little ways out of sight.

The three of them moved without hesitation along with the rest of the crowd to investigate. The two men kept shouting, getting in as man punches as the could while being pulled away from each other.

"Cut that out," A tall, average looking man said as he stepped toward them. While he looked no better off than any of the others, he somehow carried the air of authority around him. At his words, people turned toward him, backing away from the two men hell bent on fighting. "I said, cut that out. Right now." He repeated more fiercely, getting between the two men and pushing them apart.

"He stole my bread," One said, pointing at the other who looked a touch younger than him.

The man in charge turned to the accused. "Did you take it?"

"I don't know what happened, he just went crazy." He replied, chest heaving with exertion and probably panic.

The other man lunged for him, but the ones who were holding him back before managed to grab him before he could restart the fight.

"That's enough," The man in charge warned before turning back to the accused. "Now think real careful before you lie to me." He warned.

The younger of the two deflated instantly. "I'm starvin', Solomon." He finally admitted.

Solomon stuck out his hand, and the younger man pulled a loaf of bread out of his jacket and handed it over regretfully,

"We're all starvin'," Solomon reminded, breaking the loaf in half. He handed a half to each of the fighters, and while the younger looked relieved, the other looked disgruntled. Before he could say anything, Solomon continued. "No stealin', no fightin'. You know the rules. Thirteen years ago, I fought in the Great War. A lot of did, and the only reason we got through was because we stuck together. No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got."

With a slight nod, Solomon dismissed the men, and they along with the crowd returned to what they were doing before.

"Come on," The Doctor whispered, and the three chased after Solomon, though he only went as far as a fire barrel to warm his hands. "I suppose that makes you the boss around here." He said to Solomon who looked up in confusion.

"And, uh, who might you all be?" He asked, looking over the three of them.

"I'm Martha," she introduced herself.

"I'm Rose," She said.

"And I'm the Doctor." He said without his usual cheer.

"A doctor?" Solomon snorted. "Well, we got stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you're the first doctor. Neighbourhood gets classier by the day."

"Not bad for what it is though." Rose said, slipping her hand from the Doctor's and standing next to Solomon. She warmed her hands along side him.

"We make due," He nodded with a touch of pride. "Hundreds of people around these parts at any given time. But I'll tell you what, Hooverville is truly equal society. Black, white, all the same. All starving."

"The great humbler." Rose nodded, and he laughed without humor, flashing her a smile.

"We welcome them all," He said. "Men of the working class, men of upper class. All the same, here."

"Any of one side disappear more than the other?" The Doctor asked, pulling the newspaper from the dinner our of his jacket, showing Solomon the headline.

The poor man's shoulders slumped and all humor left his face. "No," He shook his head. "Afraid not."

"But men must come and go all the time, it's not like anyone's keeping a register." The Doctor said as Solomon reached for the paper.

He held it in his hands like he was studying something precious. "This is different." He said, shifting his gaze to the Doctor. "Someone takes them at night. We hear something, someone calls for help. By the time we get there, they're gone like they vanished into thin air." He explained.

"And you're sure someone's taking them?" The Doctor asked.

Solomon looked at him with disbelief, seeming ready to dismiss him.

"They leave their stuff behind don't they?" Rose said, getting his attention.

Solomon nodded.

"Why does that matter?" Martha asked, curious and not unkind.

Rose smiled thinly. "When you don't have a lot, what you do got matters." She said, keeping her gaze on Solomon.

He nodded, a thin smile of his own in place. "Your knife, blanket, you take it with you. Don't leave bread uneaten or fire still burning."

Without thinking, Rose reached up and worried her TARDIS key. The chain she wore it on was one of the only things she kept from her time with Jimmy. It wasn't a gift from him, not in the least. It was the only thing she didn't pawn to try to pay off their debt. Hardly worth much, it was the most expensive piece of jewelry she'd ever bought herself in her young life.

"Have you been to the police?" Martha asked, and Rose's eyes snapped to her as her thoughts were broken.

"Yeah, we tried that," Solomon said with the humorless grin of his. "Another deadbeat goes missing. Big deal."

"So the question is: who's taking them and for what?" The Doctor pondered, and for the first time a trace of hope colored Solomon's face.

"Solomon," A young man with a thick, southern accent called as he jogged toward them. "Mister Diagoras is here." He said, pointing to the front of the settlement.

"Who's that?" Rose asked as Solomon's mood quickly deflated.

"A foreman for the Empire State Building project. Though these days you'd think he was King of Manhattan. Comes by here looking for cheap labor." Solomon explained as he stepped away from the barrel.

"How long's that been?" The Doctor asked, falling in step with Solomon as Martha and Rose followed behind them.

"Been a couple months." Solomon replied, though they were starting to become part of the crowd gathering to hear out this Mister Diagoras out.

Rose came up beside the Doctor, lacing her hand in his and startling him for a moment. Martha came up to his other side, arms folded over her chest.

"I need volunteers," Said the man at the front, flagged by lackeys. He reminded Rose of the mob bosses in those stupid movies Mickey made her watch all the time. Sure, the time period was right for him to be dressing like that, but it all seemed so cliche with the accent and the way he commanded power. "I got a little work for you, and you sure look like you can use the money." He said with a grin. Rose scowled.

"What's the money?" The young man who came to fetch Solomon asked.

"A dollar a day." The idiot replied like he offering them the moon.

Everyone around them grumbled, and Rose couldn't help but snort and roll her eyes along with them.

"What's the work," Solomon asked, more polite sounding than Rose surely would have been.

"A little trip down the sewers." Diagoras replied. "Got a tunnel that collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?"

"A dollar a day?" Solomon repeated. "That's slave wage. Men don't always come back up, do they?" He challenged the mob-boss wanna be,

Diagoras' simply shrugged. "Accidents happen."

"What do you mean?" The Doctor asked, looking skeptical. "What sort of accidents."

"You don't need the work? Fine. Anybody else?" Diagoras brushed him off.

The Doctor turned down to Rose, smiling slightly as he gave her hand a squeeze. "What do you think, Shiver?" He asked her flirtatiously. "Might not be Paris, but …."

"Always up for a lil' adventure, there, Shake." She said, tongue between her teeth as she grinned back.

At once they turned to face Diagoras and raised their hands.

He spotted them. "Enough with the questions." He growled.

"Oh, no, no, no. We're volunteering." The Doctor clarified.

Martha's hand shot up a second later, and she mumbled something to the Doctor Rose couldn't hear. She noticed Solomon raising his hand as well, and looked around to see the only other volunteer was the young man who came to get him.

When no one else volunteered, Diagoras nodded. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

 

"Turn left," Diagoras instructed gruffly as they five Hooverville volunteers entered the sewer with torches in hand. "Go about half a mile, follow tunnel 273. Fall's right ahead of you, you can't miss it." He said with a smile that unsettled Rose.

"And when do we get our dollar," The young man Rose now knew as Frank asked, sounding as suspicious as she was."

"When you come back up." Diagoras replied.

"And what if we don't come back up?" The Doctor asked, hints of the storm starting to brew.

"Then I got no one to pay." Diagoras replied, puffing out his chest a little.

"We'll be back," Solomon replied, starting to lead them down the tunnel.

"Let's hope so," Martha grumbled before following his lead. Rose waited, watching the Doctor stare down Diagoras who remained unflinching. Eventually he turned, putting his arm around Rose long enough to get them following the others.

"I'm sorry," He said quietly after they were around the corner.

"For what?" Rose asked, smiling a bit to herself as she watched Frank and Martha getting on quite well in front of them. She looked up at the Doctor, giving him her full attention.

He glanced at her eyes a mix of the storm and genuine guilt. "I know what's been going through your mind." Rose absently reached for her temple and he shook his head. "Not like that. I know because I see it in your eyes. The way you worried your chain. Didn't consider what being around all this would be like."

"'S fine," Rose said with a shrug as she shone her light around. "He's the past, I try not to dwell on it."

"Doesn't mean it's not nagging at you."

"'S nothing, really." She said, turning to look at him as they moved. "May've come close but I didn't get this far. A night in a shelter before going back to Mom, 's all it was."

"Rose," He said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "If it hadn't been for Jimmy leaving, you wouldn't have been to that shelter. And, well, Jimmy …." He was cut off when Martha yelped.

The Doctor and Rose moved to the front of the crowd, seeing Martha covering her mouth with both hands and staring at a glowing green blob on the sewer floor.

"Whoa," The Doctor said, kneeling down beside it and setting his torch aside.

"What is that?" Rose asked, wrinkling her nose as she leaned over the Doctor's shoulder and studied the odd thing.

"What ever it is, it's gone off." Martha replied, sounding like she was close to gagging.

"Must've seen worse than this working in the hospital?" Rose asked her almost teasingly.

"Nothing that putrid." Martha replied as the Doctor scooped it up, bringing it close to his face. "And you've got to pick it up." She cringed.

"Just don't lick it, 'kay?" Rose said, adding in a whisper. "Or else very slow will become not at all."

The Doctor turned his head for her to see the utter disbelief on his face. "Even I have limits, Rose Tyler." He said, his lips quirking in a smirk for just a beat before he looked back at the blob. "Can you shine your torch through it?" He asked. Rose nodded, pointing at it and taking in the thing with better lighting. "Composite organic matter." He said. "Martha? Medical opinion?"

"It's not human, I know that." She replied, finally pulling her mouth away.

"It looks familiar." Rose admitted, shaking her head. "Dunno why, but it's just … it's like I've seen it before."

"I know," the Doctor said thoughtfully. "And you know what else I know? We must be at least a half a mile in, and I don't see any sign of a collapse. So why did mister Diagoras send us down here?"

"We're way beyond half a mile." Solomon supported the Doctor's theory. "There's no collapse."

"That Diagoras bloke was lying?" Martha asked, fingering the collar of her jacket.

"Looks like it." The Doctor replied.

"So why did he want people to come down here?" Frank asked nervously.

The Doctor looked to Rose. "Solomon," he said, holding her gaze. "I think it's time you took Frank and Martha back. Rose and I will be quicker on our own."

"Why just you two?" Martha asked.

The sound of squealing halted any further discussion on the topic.

"What the hell was that?" Solomon asked as Rose and the Doctor straightened up, and he put the blob in his pocket.

They all waited, still as possible, straining to hear.

"Hello?" Frank called out, only to be shushed by Martha. "What if it's one of the folk gone missing?" He asked in a whisper. "You'd be scared, half mad down here on your own."

"Do you really think they're still alive?" The Doctor asked, clearly thinking they were not.

"Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here. Maybe they just got lost." Frank replied, his niavity enduring.

That squealing sound started again.

"It doesn't even sound human," Rose said as they all started to head toward it. Another echo of the squealing noise, sounding both closer and farther away, brought them to a halt a few feet from a split in the tunnel.

"Sounds like there's more than one of 'em." Frank noted as the Doctor and Rose took a few steps closer to the split.

He seemed to strain to listen. "This way," He said, taking Rose's hand and starting to move again.

"No," Solomon said, stopping them. "That way." He shone his torch down the other corridor and illuminated a figure huddled on the ground, cowering as if it were scared. "Who are you?" Solomon asks the hunched figure.

After a quick squeeze, the Doctor let go of Rose's hand and moved to the hunched figure. She took a couple of steps closer, stopping at Martha's side, watching th Doctor give Frank a gentle nudge back as the young man tried to approach the figure. He spoke quietly to it, the calm an comforting tone of his voice reaching their ears but not the words.

"Do you know what he's saying?" Martha asked her. Rose just shook her head, watching as the Doctor knelt down beside the figure, his torch light illuminating it.

What ever it was had the head of a pig. Martha gasped quietly, clutching on to Rose's arm. As for Rose, her eyes merely bulged. Can't say she was expecting that.

"Is, uh, that some kind of carnival mask?" Solomon asked, his voice shaky.

"No, it's real." The Doctor replied over his shoulder before looking back to pig man. He started speaking to it quietly again, not paying attention to them or anything around him.

Not even the shadows falling on the walls in front of him.

"Doctor, I think you better get back," Martha suggested, taking a step toward him.

The light in the tunnel to their right dimmed, and Rose turned to see he silhouettes of what looked to be more pig men coming toward them in such a way that there would only be one way to go.

"Doctor!" She yelled, finally getting his attention. He looked behind him, his gaze passing over her as he took in what was coming from behind, then turned to the right.

"Good point," he said, looking at the pig man in front of him. He stood and took a couple abrupt steps back, noticing the menacing look that came over the creatures eyes.

Slowly it got to his feet, the others closer than they seemed to be before as the Doctor slowly backed away. Everyone followed his lead. He looked around them, seeming to assess things, backing into the girls and causing them to sort of break apart.

"Well then," He said, fumbling behind him until his hand caught Rose's the way he had the very first time in the Henrick's basement. "Everyone, basically … run." He said, turning abruptly and pulling Rose down the corridor that was at their back.

As they ran they cam along another junction, and without a word, the Doctor turned right, glancing over his shoulder to make sure everyone was still with him.

"A ladder!" Rose cried out in elation, partially breathless as running in the small, dark space somehow made it more difficult to breath.

The Doctor let go of her hand and ran up ahead of them, pulling his sonic from his jacket to work on the sewer lid above. Rose looked back, hearing the Pig men coming toward them at unsettling rate while noticing Frank search the ground before picking up a rod of some kind. He tossed it, looking poised and ready to attach the creatures like they were baseballs.

"Rose," She heard the Doctor yell.

"Frank, come on." Rose tried to coax him.

"I'll be right behind ya," He replied with a gesture for her to move.

Hesitantly she did, moving up the ladder and allowing the Doctor to pull her up beside Martha.

"Come on, Frank," Solomon yelled as she started up the ladder.

Rose glimpse the young man dropping the rod before Solomon blocked him from her sight. When she saw him again he was part way up the ladder with a Pig man grabbing his leg.

"Frank!" Solomon cried as he and the Doctor seemed to struggle to get him out of the pig men's reach. But more of the creatures surrounded Frank, yanking him farther away while also preparing to climb the ladder themselves.

Solomon shoulder checked the Doctor aside and pulled the lid to the sewer closed.

"Ya outta your mind?" Rose demanded, now trying to shove Solomon aside.

"We can't go after him." Solomon rounded on her.

"We can't just leave him," The Doctor countered, hands on the wheel and ready to turn it.

Solomon gripped it and held it in place, though Rose suspected the Doctor was letting him. "I'm not losing anybody else," Solomon said firmly, the sound of heeled shoes coming toward them. "Those creatures were from Hell itself!"

"You don't know what they …." Rose started to say before the shoes came to a stop.

"Alright, then. Put 'em up." A woman with a heavy accent instructed, and Rose turned as the rest did, flinching at the gun in her hand. She and Martha complied, though the two men looked stunned. The woman cocked the gun. "Hands in the air, and no funny business." She said, and they finally complied as we. "Now tell me, you schmucks, what've you done with Laszlo?"

"Uh, who's Laszlo?" Martha asked, her voice impressively steady considering the danger they seemed to be in.

She took a step forward, and everyone took a step back in the process, the Doctor shifting to stand in front of Rose and Martha.

"Turn around," the petite blonde instructed. "Walk down the hall 'n' go in the room with the door open."

They did as they were told, hands still in the air. It wasn't far at all, and the room she was guiding them in to by gun point looked to be a dressing room. Solomon had somehow got in the lead, and he lined them up against the wall facing the dressing table with a second chair off to the right. Martha came up beside him, Rose and the Doctor right behind before their assailant came in behind them and closed the door.

She kept the gun pointed at them as she sat down casually in the chair at the dressing table.

"Laszlo's my boyfriend." She started. "Or was my boyfriend until two weeks ago. No letter, no good-bye, no nothin'. And I'm not stupid," She assured them with a wave of the gun as if gesturing with it was second nature. "I know guys are just pigs, but not my Laszlo. I mean, what kinda guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses."

Rose snorted. "I know of at least one." She said with a sardonic grin.

"Was he a pig?" The woman asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah," Rose replied.

"Rose," the Doctor said cautiously. "I know you're terrific with the domestic approach, but how about we not tarnish Laszlo's reputation while there's a gun pointed at us."

"Huh?" The woman said, narrowing her gaze before looking at the gun in her hand. Her brow shot up as if she was wondering how it go there in the first place. "Oh, sorry." She said, tossing it carelessly to the side, watching it as it bounced on the other chair. When the four of them flinched she grinned a little. "Oh come on, it's not real. It's just a prop. Was either that or a spear."

"What ever works," Rose said with an approving grin. The woman smiled back with pride.

"What do you think happened to Laszlo?" Martha asked, her stance relaxing along with the rest of theirs.

"I wish I knew," The woman replied with a mournful sigh. "One minute he's there, the next … zip! Vanished."

"Listen, ah," The Doctor said, taking a step toward the woman, leaning forward. "What was your name?"

"Tallulah." She said, straightening up.

"Tallulah," The Doctor repeated as if seeing out it sounded.

"Three L's and an H." She said automatically.

"Right," He said, clearing his throat as he straightened up. "We can try to find Laszlo, but he's not the only one. There are people disappearing every night."

"And there are creatures," Solomon said as he bowed and shook his head. "Such creatures."

"Whaddaya mean 'creatures'?" Tallulah asked nervously.

"Listen, just trust me." The Doctor jumped in after shooting Solomon a glare. "Everyone is in danger. I need to find out exactly what this is," He said as he pulled the blob out of his pocket. Tallulah, three L's and an H, looked like she was going to lose her lunch. "Because then I'll know exactly what we're fighting."

Tallulah swallowed, crinkling her nose. "Prop room's where you four popped up," She said with a strain to her voice. "Use what ya like. Balcony is usually free during the afternoon, you can work up there." She added, turning away from the blob and catching Rose's eye.

"Brilliant," He said. "Rose, Martha?"

"I'm good here, thanks." Martha said quickly, eyeing the blob with unmasked disgust.

"I'll keep ya company." Rose said, earning a wide smile from the Doctor. The two left together, and she was surprised to hear Solomon following after them. "Whaddya need?" She asked the Doctor when they entered the prop room.

"Anything with electronic parts so I can scrap together a scanner." He said absentmindedly as discarded his overcoat and tossed it on a chair before he scored the room.

Solomon picked up a radio that looked like it hadn't worked in awhile. "How about this?" He asked, holding it out for the Doctor.

"Perfect," he replied as he took the Radio from Solomon's hands, giving it a good toss to flip it around. "It's the capacitors I need."

"What sorta scanner are ya building?" Rose asked as she picked up an old looking microphone, and a haphazardly tosses confetti canon.

"A crude little DNA scanner for the little beastie." He replied as he took his sonic to the radio Solomon gave him. "If I can get a chromosomal reading, I'll find out where it's from." He said, glancing up. "Microphone might work, but the canon's useless."

She shrugged, setting the canon back down more carefully than it seemed to have been the first time.

"How about you, Doctor?" Solomon asked, seeming hesitant to get any closer to either of them for a moment. "Where are you from? I've been all over and I've never heard anybody talk like you."

"Oh, you know, here and there." He side stepped the question.

"I'm not a fool, Doctor." Solomon said, stepping closer.

"No, sorry." The Doctor apologized, though he kept his eyes trained on the radio.

"Where is he from, Rose?" He asked, turning to her. "You seem to know him more than anyone."

"We're travelers." She replied. "'S all there really is to it."

Solomon held her eye before nodding once in acceptance. Sighing, he dropped his gaze. "I was so scared," He said. "I let them take Frank 'cause I was just too scared."

"It happens," Rose said earnestly. "Fight or flight, yeah?"

"Except I should have chosen fight." Solomon said with conviction. "Which is what I'm going to do now. I gotta get back to Hooverville. With these creatures on the loose, we gotta protect ourselves. Ain't no one else gonna help us."

"We're helping." Rose reminded him, though she knew it wasn't enough.

He smiled at her sincerely. "That you are, Rose. And I appreciate it." He turned to the Doctor. "I hope you find what you're looking for. For all our sakes." He said, extending a hand to the Doctor.

He took it, giving Solomon a firm shake. "Good luck," He said with a warm smile.

Solomon came over, taking Rose's free hand in both of his and giving it a squeeze before he left the room.

"Well," The Doctor said with a huff, "You take that microphone and that sheet of metal, and we'll head on up to the balcony and get to work." He said, with a grin.

Rose nodded once, gathered the metal sheet a couple feet away, then followed him out of the prop room.


	11. Daleks in Manhattan pt 2

Martha had to admit she was enjoying her time with Tallulah as the petite blonde got ready to take the stage. She babbled on about her stagehand boyfriend who was just the sweetest, and while it did cause an ache in Martha's heart it also cleared her head for a bit.

She'd noticed how close the Doctor was with Rose through out the day, though she had to wonder if it was merely to placate his primary travel partner. He had, after all, been more focused on her than Rose since she traveled with them, and his reaction to Rose's knowing how to fly his ship was a little surprising. Maybe this was just their way of smoothing over a fight, showing one another that they were still mates no matter what?

But Tallulah's love life seemed more tragic at the moment, and that's where Martha put her attention.

"But they'd listen to you. You're one of the stars." Martha reasoned with Tallulah when she said in no uncertain terms she'd get fired for causing a fuss over her missing beau.

"Oh, honey, I got one stone in a back street revue and that's only because Heidi Chicane broke her ankle." She replied, turning to Martha and pointing her makeup brush at her. "Which had nothin' to do with me whatever anybody says." She stated, and Martha smirked. Tallulah smiled thinly, shoulders sagging a bit. "I can't afford to make a fuss. If I don't make this month's rent, then before you know it I'm in Hooverville."

"Okay, I get it." Martha relented, hands up in a brief sign of surrender.

"It's the Depression, sweetie. Your heart might break, but the show goes on and if it stops, you starve. Every night I have to go out there, sing, dance, keep goin'." She said, her voice hitching. "Hoping he's gonna come back." And at that, Tallulah's carefree demeanor cracked.

Martha leaned over, having scooted the chair Tallulah had tossed the fake gun on closer to the dressing table. Taking the tiny woman in her arms, she hugged as tight as she dared. "I'm sorry," She said sincerely.

Tallulah nodded, pushing her self away before grabbing a tissue from the box on her vanity table. She dabbed her eyes, mindful of her make up, before putting on that cheerful facade again.

"Hey you're lucky, though." She said, sniffing. "You got yourself a forward thinking guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit."

Martha blushed. "Oh, he's not, we're not …."

"What, you trying to say he's with blondie there?" Tallulah said, truly amused. "Oh honey, let me tell ya. Guys like that don't stick with girls like her for the long haul. I mean, she's sweet an all, but you can just tell she ain't in the same class as he is." She gestured to Martha. "You, on the other hand, have all the makings of an upscale lady, despite the obvious if you'll forgive my saying." Tallulah said.

"I don't know," Martha said, shaking her head, smiling wistfully. "They've been traveling together a lot longer than I've been with them. They have history."

"An' is that history markin' its territory?" Tallulah asked knowingly, an eyebrow arched and a smile threatening the corners of her lips. It broke through when Martha shook her head, her own grin cracking through. "See? An' besides, even if there was, like I said, those girls aren't the ones they take home to their mothers." She reached out a hand and placed it on Martha's. "Ya just gotta live in hope. It's the only thing that's kept me going. 'Cause look," She said, reaching for something in the corner of the vanity. She turned back to Martha, showing her the short-stemmed white rose. "On my dressing table every day still."

* * *

 

"There we go," The Doctor cried in triumph as he gazed upon his contraption with pride. "A little bit of jiggery poke and I have myself a DNA scanner that can tell me everything we need to know about ol' jelly here. Also capable of tuning into Radio stations as far ahead as the forty-ninth century. Though by then everyone's into the ancient classics, which is essentially music from your time." He said with a manic grin over to where Rose had been sitting a few feet away from his make-shift work area. He had cleared a spot on the balcony benches, enough room for his work station and for Rose to sit.

She smiled, shaking her head. "The things that impressive mind of yours can come up with." She teased.

"Oh I'm very impressive." He said with a wink before taking the blob and carefully laying it on the metal sheet. He attached a bunch of wires to it, then stuck his screwdriver into a slot he made for it, pressing the button. "Now we wait." He said, turning to face her completely as he got to his feet.

"Bet you wish you brought the TARDIS closer now, yeah?" She asked as she stood up and made her way to stand in front of him. She put her hands on her hips, jutting the left one out a bit.

"Would have been easier to scan," He conceded. "But then again I wasn't expecting to poke at alien bio-matter or run from pig men." He replied.

"Suppose not." She mused.

She felt his eyes on her for a while, and when she finally met his gaze again he wasn't smiling. "Down in the sewer, I was going to tell you something." He said.

"You were, yeah." She said with a slight nod.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck before pulling on his ear. "I'm the reason Jimmy left." He confessed nervously.

Rose gaped at him. "How? Honestly, how is that possible." She asked.

"Well, after you told me about him I may have, I dunno, gone back to the night he hurt you, cornered him in the street, and threatened his life if he dared to touch you again." He said, with a lot of shrugging and a couple of sniffs. "Had a lot of aggression in that body, I was already feeling overly protective of you because of Jack, and just the thought of anyone laying a finger on you …."

"'Kay, I get it." Rose stopped him, holding up a hand and closing her eyes a second.

The Doctor nodded. Stepping toward her, He put his arms around her and brought her to him in a loose, comforting embrace. "Sorry." He said, "Truly." He pressed a kiss to her head, and she smiled as her arms encircled him. Closing her eyes, she listened to the beats of his hearts. She could picture her gruff, northern Doctor stalking Jimmy in a dark alleyway, full Oncoming Storm concentrated on a musician from the bad side of town. A man who hit his girlfriend the night before because she didn't clear enough money for rent her last paycheck. Dark days for Rose Tyler, she swore that night she would leave him, that she would become stronger, better. His guitars were gone the next morning, as was all the money they had. She went to work, came back to an empty flat and a note saying he was banging someone better scrawled on the eviction noticed stuck to the door.

Pushing the memories aside, she opened her eyes she caught a flicker of something. "I think it's reading something." She noted, and the Doctor moved to see what the output was so quickly his sudden absence was almost painful.

"Not quite warm enough to get a reading," He noted with a squint, looking around and spotting a small stage light that likely wouldn't be miss on the stage below. He shone it over the blob. "That's it, let's warm you up." He said with a grin.

The sonic started beeping again soon after, and he threw on his specs as he got on his knees to read the results. "This is artificial," he told her. "Genetically engineered. Whoever did this, oh, they're clever." He said in admiration.

"Like a clone?" Rose asked.

"Sorta. An attempt at a genetic anomaly is probably closer."

Rose furrowed her brow. "As in same DNA, but altered a lil'? Like a parent-child sorta deal." She asked.

The Doctor turned an incredulous gaze at her. "How did you know?"

"No idea," She admitted with a short shake of the head. "Just a thought that popped into my head."

He continued to look at her in disbelief before finally returning his attention to the blob. He reached into his trans-dimensional pockets and pulled out the stethoscope, putting in the ear tips before placing the drum on the blob.

Rose honestly had no idea how that was going to help as he still focused on the sonic, but she also knew better than to ask when it risked his gob.

"Fundamental DNA type 467-989." He rambled off, rubbing his eyes from beneath his glasses before visibly tensing. "989." He repeated, taking the stethoscope off and shoving it in his pocket. "Hold on," He turned in his chair to look at Rose as if she had an idea what the DNA types meant after her lucky hunch with how it was made. "That means the planet of origin is …." His face fell. "Skaro."

The name swirled around in Rose's head a couple seconds before it hit her with a painful realization.

"Daleks," She could barely get the word out as her heart twisted and her stomach did a flip.

Without another word, The Doctor pulled his sonic from his make-shift scanner before grabbing Rose's hand and running back the way they came up.

They stumbled in the backstage area, coming across the huddled crowed of chorus girls who looked utterly terrified, and Tallulah who was also shaken, but seemed more curious.

"What happened?" Rose asked as the Doctor scanned the crowd.

"Some guy with a face like a pig." Tallulah huffed out. "He was watching us ova there and Martha spotted him." She added with a thumb thrown over her shoulder.

"Where is she?" The Doctor added fiercely.

"I dunno, she ran off." Tallulah replied, gesturing with a wave toward the prop room.

A second later, they heard Martha scream.

Without a second hesitation, Rose and the Doctor ran toward it but by the time they got there, she was gone.

"Martha?" He called out, whipping his head around the room.

Rose did it slower, chest heaving from the sudden sprint and the news of Dalek's being somewhere in the city. Pushing her hair back, Rose bowed her head, noting something off about the lid to the sewer.

"Doctor," She panted, pointing to it.

She felt the air move around, looking up in time to see him throw his overcoat on before bending down to open the lid.

Without a second hesitation, Rose descended the ladder, thankful the Doctor didn't try to tell her it was too dangers. He followed behind her, and once she was on solid ground and out of the way she noticed Tallulah start to come down the ladder.

"Tallulah?" Rose asked, as the Doctor came beside her.

"No," He said firmly, having noticed Tallulah coming down for the first time. "No, no, no, no way. You're not coming."

"Tell me what's going on?" She demanded bravely.

"There's nothing you can do. Go back." He instructed fiercely, the fear in his voice likely only evident to Rose

"Look, whoever's taken Martha could've taken Laszlo, couldn't they?" Tallulah countered stubbornly, having no idea what king of danger they were actually in.

"'S not safe, Tallulah," Rose said gently. "Really 's not."

"Then that's my problem," She countered, hands on her hips before turning back to the Doctor. "Which way?"

"Blondes," The Doctor mumbled, exasperated.

"Oi, watch it, or I'm going to be the thing you need to worry 'bout down here." Rose said pointedly.

He shook his head, "This way," He said with a tilt of his head. The Doctor lead the way, Rose right behind him with Tallulah on her tail.

As they made their way through the maze of tunnels, searching for any sign of, well, anything, Rose could hear Tallulah sigh repeatedly. The start and stop of so many sentences fluttered to her ears that it actually started to irritate her.

Just as Rose was about to tell Tallulah to either be out with it or shut up, a mechanical whir echoed down the hall. And that's when Tallulah decided to talk. "When you say 'they've taken her', who's they exactly? And who are you two, anyway, I never asked."

"Shh," Rose and the Doctor hushed her at once

"Okay," Tallulah replied, hands in the air and taken aback.

"Quiet," Rose snapped in hushed tones as the Doctor shushed her again.

Rose faced forward again and her heart sunk. A shadow crept across the wall, and it's form was unmistakable. Her eyes stung with the heat of tears as her hands balled into fists, and her nails dug into her palms.

"I mean you're handsome and all," Tallulah started rambling again but was cut off with a smack. Through the blur, Rose noted the Doctor covered Tallulah's mouth with his hand, and was pulling her back into a recess in the sewer wall. Rose moved to squeeze in beside him, burying her face in his jacket sleeve to find comfort as the sound of a moving Dalek came closer.

Rose counted the seconds in an effort to keep calm until the Dalek had passed them, letting out a breath as he felt the Doctor move away.

"No, no, no, no, no, they survived." He bit out. "The always survive while I keep standing to lose everything."

"That metal thing," Tallulah stuttered. "What was it?"

"'S called a Dalek," Rose said with a shaky voice. She cleared her throat, trying to make it stronger.

"And it's not just metal," the Doctor ground out. "It's alive."

"You're kidding me." She scoffed.

"Does it look like I'm kidding?" He glared at her. Rose grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze in an attempt to calm him. He took a deep breath. "Inside that shell is a creature born to hate, whose only thought is to destroy everything and everyone that isn't a Dalek too. It won't stop until it's killed every human being alive." He said more calmly than he had before.

"And then going on to kill everything else." Rose said with a grumble.

"Exactly," The Doctor replied, grabbing Tallulah's arm and pulling her back the way they came.

"Hey, whaddaya doing?" She asked, slapping at his hand.

"Every second you're down here, you're in danger. We're taking you back." He said with a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure Rose was, in fact, following them.

The three rounded a corner, and The Doctor immediately shot out a protective arm to stop Rose just as she glimpsed the pig man and Tallulah let out a scream worthy of a classic horror movie.

Something about this one seemed different, though. He almost seemed more human than the other ones they encountered. He tried to run from them, but somehow realized he didn't have a way to escape and instead tried to hide his face by standing in a corner.

"Where's Martha?" The Doctor asked, having none of this hiding business as he moved so the pig man had no choice but to look at him. "What have you done with her?"

"I didn't take her." Said the pig man, and Rose's jaw dropped.

"D-did you just?" She stuttered, slowly pointing at him as she inched forward.

"Can you remember your name?" The Doctor asked gently, the anger tucked away.

"Don't look at me," The pig man implored, trying to huddle into the corner.

Tallulah took a step forward, "Do you know where she is?" She asked kindly.

"Stay back, don't look at me," The pig man begged with a hand out to toward her.

"What happened?" Rose asked, slowly coming up by the Doctor. It wasn't just that this pig man seemed more human, but had very few of the physical characteristics the other creatures had. He _looked_ nearly human except for the odd tusks and the nose.

"They made me a monster," The poor pig man said, catching her eye. There was no threat there, just shame.

"Who did?" The Doctor asked.

"The masters," The Pig man replied.

"The Daleks?" He asked, and the pig man nodded slightly. "Why?"

"They needed slaves to steal more people so the created us. Part animal, part human. I escaped before they got my mind, but it was still too late." He replied regretfully

"Do you know what happened to Martha?" The Doctor asked him.

"They took her." Pig man replied apologetically. "It's my fault, she was following me."

"Were you in the theatre?" Tallulah asked, inching closer still.

The pig man went to turn toward her as if it was instinct but stopped. "Yes," he said over his shoulder.

"Why? Why were you there?" Tallulah asked, and Rose reached for the Doctor's hand as her heart ached in understanding. Her Time Lord laced their fingers together but focused on the scene before him.

"I never wanted you to see me like this." The Pig man said mournfully.

"Why me?" She asked, wonder and fear in her tone. "What do I gotta do with this? Were you following me? Is that why you were there?"

"Yes." The pig man turned to face her, and Tallulah's eyes went wide. Not with fear, Rose noted, but with recognition. A look Rose felt she had worn once before, a little over a year ago, when big ears and leather became a gob with great hair.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"I was lonely." He replied.

"Who are you?" She repeated again, hope in her voice.

"I needed to see you." He admitted.

"Who are you?" Tallulah asked, a little more desperate this time as she was mere feet away.

"I'm sorry," He said, turning away from her only to have his arm grabbed by the small show girl. He didn't resist when she turned him around, like he wouldn't have been able to resist anything she asked of him.

"Let me look at you?" She asked quietly, and he relented.

Rose shifted closer to the Doctor as the two watched the pair take each other in. Part of her felt like she was intruding on something truly private, but she just couldn't look away.

Tallulah back him slightly into the light, her hands resting on his neck in a gentle, loving, familiar way as she smiled sadly. "Laszlo? My Laszlo?" She asked, her voice breaking. He nodded. "Oh what have they done to you?" She asked, fussing about him.

Rose and the Doctor turned to each other, simply staring into one another's eyes for a few precious seconds before he let go of her hand and stepped up to the reunited lovers.

"Laszlo," He asked kindly, "Can you show me where they are?"

Laszlo looked at him with as much disbelief as his pig-like face could muster. "They'll kill you."

"If I don't stop the, they'll kill everyone." The Doctor countered.

Laszlo nodded. "Then follow me."

He lead the three of them down the tunnels, the sound of squeals and foot steps growing louder. The rounded a corner, and Rose instantly spotted Martha standing next to Frank in a small crowd of terrified humans. They were talking with one another as the pig men had them huddled together.

"SI-LENCE, SI-LENCE," The robotic voice of the Dalek caused Rose to jump, the Doctor gripping her arms tightly as the Dalek rolled into view. "YOU WILL FORM A LIIINE. MOVE." The pig men pushed and shoved the crowd in to a line, some trying to push back.

"Just do what it says," Martha's voice carried, though came to them quietly. "Just obey."

"THE FE-MALE IS WIIISE. OBEY!" The Dalek replied as another one joined it. The Doctor's grip tightened on Rose's arms, and she covered one hand with her own.

"REPORT." The new one asked.

"THESE ARE STRONG SPECIIMANS. THEY WILL HELP THE DALEK CAAUSE. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE FINAL EXPERIMENT?"

"THE DAL-EK-ANIUM IS IN PLACE." The new one replied. "THE ENERGY CONDUCTOR IS NOW COMPLETE."

"THEN I WILL EXTRACT PRISONERS FOR SELECTION." The original Dalek waited as a pig man brought an older man forward.

"They're divided into two groups," Laszlo explained quietly was they all watched the Dalek place its plunger-like attachment on the face of each human it scanned. "High intelligence and low intelligence. The low intelligence are taken to become pig slaves like me."

"Well that's not fair." Tallulah protested too loudly, earning a shush from Rose and the Doctor. "You're the smartest guy I ever dated." She added in a whisper.

"What happens to the others?" Rose asked.

"They're taken to the laboratory." He replied, looking between she and the Doctor.

"But why, what for?" The Doctor asked.

Laszlo shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know. The masters only call it the final experiment."

The Doctor turned his attention back to the crowd, "Look out, they're moving." He said, pressing his hand on Rose's abdomen, guiding her back and flattening her against the wall with him.

"Doctor," Laszlo called quietly. "Doctor, quickly."

"I'm not going," he said with a shake of his head. "I've got an idea, you go." He then looked down to Rose. "You know what I'm going to ask of you."

"And you know what I'm gonna say." She countered.

He nodded. "Then stay close." He said, glancing past her just as the Daleks started to pass by. His attention wasn't diverted long before he took her hand long enough to pull her into step right behind Martha in the group of humans. Rose could see Martha flinch before her shoulders dropped slightly. "Just keep walking." The Doctor said.

"I'm so glad to see you."

"We can celebrate later. Right now, keep quiet and follow them." He instructed as he hands went in his pockets.

They were led through the sewers, eventually entering a room with two other Daleks and a load of scientific equipment spread out on multiple work stations. One of the two new Daleks was shaking and smoking, reminding Rose of a teapot when ready. It looked different than the others, it's shell dark compared to

"REPORT," One of the ones that escorted them demanded.

"DALAK SEC IS IN THE FINAL STAGE OF EV-O-LUTION." Another responded, likely the one that had been in the room when they entered. Honestly, though, with all the homicidal pepper pots around Rose could barely tell which ones were which while trying to stay relatively unseen.

"SCAAAN HIM. PRE-PARE FOR BIIRTH."

"Evolution?" The Doctor said, his face wrinkling.

"Related to ol' Jelly?" Rose asked, trying to see what a Dalek preparing for birth would look like.

"Yeah, but ol' Jelly was dead. What ever it was didn't survive. So what did they do different this time?" He turned to Martha. "Ask them."

"What? Me?" Martha asked, seeming caught off guard that she was asked to do anything.

"I don't exactly want to get noticed, and Rose … did some things to Daleks in the past that wouldn't get her an answer from them. Just," he gave her a nudge, "ask them what's going on."

Martha took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders before squaring them as she stepped forward. "Daleks!" She said, her voice barely a waver as they turned toward her. "I demand to be told. What is the final experiment?"

"You will bare witness." One of them replied.

"To what?" Martha asked, her voice still strong.

"This is the dawn of the new age."

"What does that mean?" Martha asked, giving voice to the question swirling in Rose's mind.

"WE ARE ONLY FOUR DALEKS SO THE SPECIES MUST EVOLVE A LIFE OUTSIDE THE SHELL. THE CHILDREN OF SKARO MUST WALK AGAIN."

"What?" Rose asked under her breath.

As the dark shell of the simmering Dalek started to open, the Doctor instinctively nudged her behind him. Slowly a man's body untangled itself, standing tall in a suit that Rose thought looked disturbingly familiar. The head reminded her a bit of a small octopus, not nearly as grotesque as a Dalek normally would look. But its skin looked the same as, it still only had one eye though it was more centered in the head. The tentacles were much shorter than the norm, lining the bottom of the head. A cursory scan of the thing in front of her showed only its hands as being exposed, and they didn't look like hands so much as claws with Dalek skin.

"What is it?" Martha asked.

"I am a human Dalek," It answered in a clear, calm voice. "I am your future."


	12. Evolution of the Daleks

"Stay here," The Doctor whispered in Rose's ear, giving it a brief peck before he backed away.

She wanted to see where he was going, to have an idea what he was up to, but all she caught before he slipped around the corner of some machinery was him pulling a radio from his pocket.

"These humans will become like us," The hybrid said. "Prepare them for hybridization."

Pig slaves started to come toward them, Rose and Martha shouting warnings at them as the former tried to step between a pig slave and Frank. It gripped her arm in tightly, inhumanly, but Rose didn't let the pain show.

Especially when the sound of music filled the room and caused everyone to quiet and take pause.

"What is that sound?" The hybrid asked, its one eye shifting.

Rose couldn't help the grin that came over her as the Doctor stepped out from behind the machine. "That would be me," He said cheerfully, setting the radio down on a nearby table while confronting the hybrid with a confident stride, hands in his pockets. "Hello, surprise, boo, et cetera."

"Doctor?" The hybrid asked as if he wasn't entirely sure he could believe it.

"THE ENEMY OF THE DALEKS!" On of the three said with the kind of panicked enthusiasm only a Dalek could have.

"EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" Another one cried out.

Rose clenched her jaw, wanting to look away but unable to as she watched the Doctor brace himself.

"Wait!" The Hybrid commanded. It did nothing to relax her.

"Well then," The Doctor said, daring to take a couple steps closer and causing Rose's heart to hammer.

She grabbed on to Martha's hand in a death grip, glancing up at her fellow companion to see she was just as terrified. The Doctor clearly discussed the Daleks with her among other parts of his past, and Rose was thankful for it now.

"A new form of Dalek," The Doctor continued. "Fascinating and very clever. Though I'm surprised to see you lot here at all, let alone transformed."

"The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter." The hybrid explained.

The cult of Skaro. The name hit Rose like a punch in the gut, remembering encountering them on Canary Wharf. How they were so determined to get her to open the arc, and she delayed as best she could by telling them what little she remembered of her time with the Vortex. It was unlikely they'd ever forget her, and as much as her flight instinct was kicking in she'd hate to see what happened if she didn't step forward.

"How?" She asked, letting go of Martha and stepping toward the Doctor. He looked at her horrified. "How did you escape on the worst day of my life?"

"The Abomination." The hybrid said, more in awe than anything. "Your humanity is the most fascinating."

"How did you escape." She bit out more slowly.

"Emergency Temporal Shift." He replied reluctantly.

The Doctor scoffed, "Oh, that must have roasted up your power cells, yeah? There was a time four Daleks could have conquered the world, but instead your skulking away. Hidden in the dark, experimenting, all which results in you." He said, looking the Hybrid up and down.

"I am Dalek in human form."

"What does that feel like?" The Doctor asked, taking a slight step closer. "You can talk to me, Dalek Sec. It is Dalek Sec isn't it? Tell me what you're thinking right now."

"I … feel … humanity." He said slowly.

"Good," The Doctor nodded once. "That's good."

"I feel everything we wanted from mankind. Ambition, hatred, aggression and war. Such genius for war." He said, his eye falling on Rose.

"No, that's not what humanity means." The Doctor shook his head.

"I think it does." He countered, eye not leaving Rose. "At heart, this species is so very … Dalek. Don't you agree?" He asked her.

"Speak for yourself, mate." She countered.

"But you took the vortex, destroyed the emperor, the Daleks, with no remorse."

"Maybe," She countered, coming up beside the Doctor. "But I didn't do it for the hell of it, I did it because I wanted people safe." She said.

"You wanted to win a war," Dalek Sec countered. "By any means necessary."

"You two could continue this conversation 'til the end of time, you'll still find you have achieved nothing with this final experiment." The Doctor said confidently. "And I can prove it to you with this." He said, going to the radio and giving it a pat.

"What is the purpose of that device?" Dalek Sec asked, taking his eye off of Rose and following the Doctor with it.

"It plays music," The Doctor replied. "What's the point of that? Oh, with music you can dance to it, sing with it," he glanced to Rose before diverting his gaze, scratching a sideburn. "Fall in love to it. Unless you're a Dalek, of course. Then it's just noise." He said with a growl, pulling his sonic from his pocket and aiming it at the radio. While there was a noise it didn't bother Rose or the others like a blast like that from the sonic usually would, but the Dalek's and Sec went mad.

Grabbing Rose's hand, the Doctor turned to the others. "Run!" He shouted as he and Rose started doing just that. The pair took up the lead, passing Martha and Frank at the front to lead the group out the way they came through the tunnels. As the weaved their way the came upon the show girl, Tallulah. "And you too! Run," He said when she looked confused.

"What happened to Laszlo?" She asked as Martha took her arm and pulled her along. No one answered her, even as they approached the ladder that would get them to freedom for even though they could levitate a Dalek couldn't fit through the man hole. The Doctor commanded for everyone to go up, Rose being the last before he followed her up, sonicing the lead shut as a precaution once they were back on the surface.

"Alright," Rose said with a huff and forced grin. "Where now?"

"We should all go back to Hooverville," The Doctor said. "Solomon is preparing to fight a race of pig men but he has no idea what's really coming for them now."

* * *

 

When they returned to Hooverville in the dead of night, Rose noted immediately that what once seemed like a (mostly) docile community of the down-trodden now almost resemble a military base. There were sentry's at the gates armed with guns, much to her surprise, and there was hardly anyone outside that didn't look like they were on patrol.

The men that escaped with them all flocked to see where they could help while the Doctor, Rose, Martha, and Frank sought out Solomon.

"We need to talk," The Doctor told him, and Solomon gestured for them to come with him. Gathered around a fire barrel where there weren't too many eavesdroppers, the Doctor began to catch Solomon up on all he missed after departing from the theatre. Martha, Tallulah, and Rose huddled together on some crates while the three men discussed everything from what the pig men really were to the plans of the Daleks. Despite the nature of the conversation, Solomon didn't seem as shell shocked as he had upon meeting the Pig Men.

"These Daleks, they sound like the stuff of nightmares," He said as the Doctor concluded his briefing. "And they wanna breed?"

"They're splicing themselves into human bodies. If I'm right, they've got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hooverville. We've got to get everyone out." The Doctor said, looking at the makeshift city.

"Hooverville's the lowest place a man can fall," Solomon reminded him. "There's nowhere else to go."

"I'm sorry, Solomon, but you've got to scatter. Go anywhere: down to the railroads, travel across state, just get out of New York."

"There's got to be a way to reason with these things." Solomon protested.

"There's not." Rose said, everyone turning to her. "Trust me, I've shown sympathy to one before, long time ago before I knew what they were capable of. The only thing they're capable of. It killed 'bout two hundred people, and I was almost one of them."

"And it was weak, vulnerable, just like these ones are." The Doctor added, trying to drive the point home. "Daleks are bad enough at anytime, but when they are at a disadvantage they're more dangerous than ever."

Solomon looked between the two of them, arguments on his lips, body agitated and ready to protest.

"They're coming!" A voice rang out through the encampment, Rose turned her head along with the others, looking to see if she could make out what exactly "they" were. "They're here! I seen 'em! Monsters! They're monsters," the voice ran out again, and Rose hopped off the crate and moved to the Doctor's side.

"It's started," He said, the darkness of the storm coloring his demeanor.

"We're under attack! Everyone to arms!" Solomon cried out, and while some the residents that were unarmed took up weapons, most tried to run away.

As the chaos surrounded them, Rose squared her shoulders, holding her head high and reaching for the Doctor's hand. Not in comfort, but in solidarity.

"We need to get out of the Park," Martha implored as she and Tallulah clung to each other in an effort to not get separated or trampled.

"We can't, they're on all sides." The Doctor said, taking in the scene around them. "They're driving people back toward us."

"So what do we do?" Rose asked him with a steady voice despite the way her heart hammered.

"We stand together." Solomon said, aiming his gun. "They can't take all of us." He opened fire, hitting some of the pig slaves but hardly enough to put a dent in the numbers.

"We can try and hold them off until daylight." Martha encouraged.

"Oh Martha," The Doctor said, "they're just the foot soldiers."

The humming sound above their head got Rose's attention, a sound that haunted her nightmares since her first encounter with them. First appearing as nothing but a little gold dot against the moonlight, the Dalek became more defined the closer it got.

"What in this world?" Solomon stammered as someone behind him started stammering about devils in the sky, and someone fired a shot at it.

"That's not going to work." The Doctor said, and Rose pulled her eyes away from the enemy long enough to see he had forced Frank to lower his gun.

"There's more than one," Martha said, and Rose looked back up to see the other another Dalek joined the other.

And without another second spared, they began firing.

Intimidation tactics, Rose figured out quickly. They were firing at the town, the people, but meaning to have direct blows. They were huddling them closer together or taking out the ones who managed to escape by causing them injury.

"THE HU-MANS WILL SURRENDER." One of them declared while the other kept firing warning shots.

"Leave them alone! They've done nothing to you!" The Doctor shouted, stepping forward, barely clasping Rose's hand.

"WE HAVE LO-CAT-ED THE DOCTOOOR!" The other said, and the attack on Hooverville stopped.

Solomon stepped up in front of the Doctor, pushing him back toward Rose.

"No, Solomon." He said, trying to get Solomon back behind him, tugging on his arm.

"I'm told that I'm addressin' the Daleks, is that right? From what I hear, you're outcasts, too." He said without fear.

"Solomon," Rose stepped forward. "You can't …."

"Rose," He cut her off. "I respect your experience, but this is my township, and I will protect it. Just let me try peace." He turned his attention back to the Daleks, and

Rose caught the Doctor shaking his head, his jaw tense.

"Daleks," Solomon continued, setting down the gun in his hands. "Ain't we all the same? Underneath, ain't we all kin? 'Cause I've just discovered this past day God's universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was. And that scares me. Terrifies me right down to the bone. But it's got to give me hope that maybe together we can make a better tomorrow. So I beg you now if you have any compassion in your hearts then you'll meet with us and stop this fight. What do you say?"

His speech was beautiful, and had it been said to any other creature in the universe, the tears in Rose's eyes could have been brought on by hope that those words would have an impact. But she knew, deep in her gut, as sure as the grip the Doctor had on her hand, that any moment they were going to show the people of Hooverville what a creature with no heart looked like.

"EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" One shrilled out, and the blast blinded Rose despite how tight she shut her eyes.

Chaos erupted around them once more, screaming pushing behind them as people coward and tried to put distance between them and the Daleks.

"Daleks!" The Doctor yelled, tossing Rose's hand aside as he stepped forward, arms out to the side, leaving him open. "Alright, it's my turn, then. Kill me!" He demanded, and Rose rushed to his side. "Kill me it it'll stop you attacking these people." He said, turning his fiery gaze on Rose. "Get back." He said without room for argument. She stepped behind him, directly, peering up at the Daleks over his shoulder.

"I WILL BE THE DESTROYER OF OUR GREATEST ENEMIES." One of them said, blaster trained on the Doctor. "FIRST THE DOCTOR, THEN HIS FEMALE."

"Then do it! Do it!" The Doctor cried, pounding his chest like a feral beast, teeth bared enough that even Rose could see it. "Just do it!"

Rose gripped his waist tightly, fingers digging into his flesh as she braced her self for the biggest lose she'd have to date, knowing it she wouldn't have to feel it for long.

"EX-TER-MIN…" The Dalek stopped, eye stock moving about. "I DO NOT UN-DER-STAND. IT IS THE DOCTOR!" It said, and the Doctor dared to turn his head to glimpse Rose. He was as confused as she was. "THE URGE TO KILL IS TOO STRONG!" It said, pulling the Doctor's attention. "I … OBEY." It relented.

"What's going on?" The Doctor asked, that confusion leaking out into the fierceness of his voice.

"YOU WILL LEAVE THE FEMALE AND FOLLOW." It said.

"Fat chance." Rose said, stepping out from behind him.

"No, Rose." He said gripping her arm, putting one hand in his pocket. "I've got to go. You know just as well as I do Daleks never change their mind, and this one did. I have to find out why."

"What about us?" Martha asked, coming up beside Rose but still standing with the Doctor between her and the Daleks.

The Doctor furrowed his brow before turning to the Daleks with determination. "One condition," he said. "If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here! Do you hear me?"

"THE HUMANS WILL BE SPARED. DOCTOR … FOLLOW."

"We should go with you." Martha said, desperation and fear clear in her eyes.

"No, do what you do best." The Doctor comforted, letting go of Rose to turn to Martha, putting his hand on her shoulder. "People are hurt, you can help them." He said, turning back to Rose.

"Still think it was a good idea to leave the TARDIS behind?" She half joked. "Coulda been handy right about now. She and I made a good team last time."

He smiled half-heartedly. "I'd never want you to risk burning for me, not again." He said, taking her hand and holding it with both of his. Something leathery was pressed to her palm. Rectangular and thin, Rose knew what it was instantly. He winked. "See you soon." He said, squeezing her hands before turning and heading off with the Daleks."

When they were out of sigh, Rose opened the bill fold of the Psychic paper. Nothing was on it.

"What did he give you that for?" Martha asked, taking the paper from Rose to examine it a second before giving it back. When she clearly didn't see anything, Rose deflated.

"Don't know. But he wouldn't just give me this to remember him by, so there's got to be a reason." She sighed. "Come on, let's get you a place set up so you can tend to people."

"I can help." Tallulah said, coming up behind him. "Just tell me what ya need."

* * *

 

Rose helped Martha where and however she could, but her mind was firmly place on the Doctor, or rather what they were supposed to do.

"That was the last of them," Martha said as the man she just finished bandaging stepped out of what was once Solomon's tent.

"So what about us?" Tallulah asked. "What do we do now?"

"Now we figure out what our part in his plan is." Rose said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the billfold, caressing it with her thumbs as she held it in both hands.

"What's his plan?" Martha asked.

Rose shook her head, "No idea. But he's right, Daleks don't change their mind. They don't hesitate to kill. So why did they let him live? Or us, for that matter?"

There was a silence that passed between them, and Rose could feel Martha staring at her. She met her eye, surprised to find Martha look nervous. "What is it?" She asked.

"The thing, the one they called Sec, he said you destroyed their emperor. How did you do that?"

Rose smirked. "Not in anyway that's safe for me to repeat. I nearly died the first time." She sighed. "The damage it's done … it's been both amazing and heartbreaking all at once."

"Your inability to have children." Martha guessed.

She nodded. "Not like traveling with the Doctor is a life made for children. 'The one adventure he can never have', he calls it. It's an adventure I gave up, and I have no regrets about it, but it is kinda … to know that there will never be some miraculous surprise …." _To never be able to give him a second chance at a family,_ Rose thought as she looked down at the billfold. Or her, really. She would never have a family again. She took a deep breath. "But that doesn't matter, this does." She said, gesturing with the psychic paper. "Because Daleks took all that away from me, and I'll be damned if they destroy more lives if I can stop them."

"And you think that piece a paper is gonna do that?" Tallulah asked skeptically.

"It shows people what you want them to see." Rose explained. "We can get in anywhere in the city, no questions asked. We just need to figure out where it is we need to go." She turned to Martha who seemed deep in thought.

"In the sewers the Daleks mentioned this energy conductor." She said, gesturing aimlessly with her hands.

"What does that mean?" Tallulah asked.

"That they need power." Rose said, meeting Martha's eye. "Had an encounter with an alien once that needed to do something like that. I'm vague on the details, but I remember she used something tall, conductive."

"That would draw lightning?" Martha asked, arching a brow as a the corner of her mouth turned up.

Rose grinned and nodded. "She didn't use it in quite that way, but I bet the Daleks would."

Martha's eyes widened. "Dalekanium!" She cried.

"What?" Rose asked.

"Dalekanium, they said the Dalekanium was in place."

"I have no idea what that is exactly, but it's probably not good." Rose said, standing abruptly. As she paced the small space she beat the billfold against her fingers. "That bloke, the one that sent him into us into the sewers in the first place. He was some kinda foreman, yeah? I would bet anything that he was working with the Daleks somehow. Sec, his clothes when he came out of the shell, looked kinda like Diagoras, didn't it?"

Martha thought it over. "They did." She said, standing slowly as Rose stopped in front of her. "So he likely became part of the experiment."

"Yeah, but what had him so close to them in the first place?" Rose asked, eyes locked on Martha's.

"Some place big, some place like …." Martha turned sharply, throwing back the tent opening. "Some place like the Empire State building?" She asked, a smile on her face.

"Oh Martha, Martha, Martha," Rose beamed, smiling wide. "I think the Doctor would call you a star right about now. Brilliant, you are." She said honestly, feeling the first true swell of affection for the girl. "Frank," She called over the young man who seemed to be both lost and busy all at once. He didn't hesitate to excuse himself from whoever he was talking to to see what they needed. "Diagoras, did he have anything to do with that?" She asked, pointing to the nearly finished Empire State.

"Yes, ma'am." He said. "And he made sure the whole city knew."

"That's it," Rose said. "That's where I'm going. Anyone who doesn't want to come, you don't have to." She strode out the tent a few feet, Martha immediately at her side. She looked over her shoulder to see Tallulah and Frank joining them. "It won't be safe." She reminded them.

"No offense ma'am," Frank said. "But I don't think any where's safe right now."

Rose nodded once, flashed Martha a grin, and then led the way.

* * *

 

"Would you look at this place?" Tallulah said as she peered out over the city from a hundred floors up. "Top of the world."

"Looks like you were right about coming all the way up here, Martha." Rose said as she spotted diagrams on a work board across from a desk. "Building plans." Rose said as she looked it over. "Probably a good place to start." She said as Martha joined her.

"Hey, look at the date." Frank said behind them, pointing at the paper from between them. "These designs were issued today. They must've changed something last minute."

"You mean the Daleks changed something?" Martha asked him.

Rose giggled. "Following the code of the city they intend to destroy." She mused with a shake of her head.

"Diagoras was in charge though." Frank reminded her as Martha flipped through the lower corners of the drawings. "He woulda brought them up to council outta habit."

"Suppose." Rose agreed thoughtfully.

"The ones underneath are from before." Martha pointed out. "That means that whatever they changed must be on this top sheet, but not this one."

"Sounds like we're playing a game of 'spot the difference.'" Rose said as she held the papers while Martha unclipped them from the board.

"The height of this place! This is amazing!" Tallulah admired, creeping closer to an open space where a window hadn't been installed yet.

"Careful, Tallulah." Rose said as she and Martha spread the papers out on the floor, same drawings side by side.

"I just wanna see," She reassured, creeping closer but still keeping her distance. "New York City. If aliens had to come to Earth, no wonder they came here."

"Go to London far more often." Rose said more to herself, smiling at Martha when she giggled. The two exchanged smiles before turning their focus to the drawings.

"I'll go and keep an eye out," Frank told them. "Make sure we're safe up here. Don't want nobody buttin' in."

"Don't go too far." Rose warned, catching Frank's nod before disappearing.

"There's a hell of a storm movin' in." Tallulah noted as she came away from the window space.

"Which means we need to figure this out and soon." Rose said.

There was quiet among them as Martha and Rose studied the various drawings, eventually drifting to opposite sides in an unspoken agreement to split the work. In that time, Tallulah came up to Rose, kneeling beside her. She felt the showgirl's eyes on her, and eventually it became too much.

"It was very brave of ya back in Hooverville." She said quietly. "Standing up with him like that."

"'S what we do for each other." Rose said with a shrug. "We're all each other have." She turned to Tallulah, catching the sideways glance she was giving Martha. Rose checked to see why, only seeing her back turned to them as she looked over the drawings.

"You and he?" Tallulah asked.

"Sorta," Rose admitted quietly. "It's complicated. We only really sorta started to talk about it recently, and sometimes I think it's cause of the trauma we went through."

"With these Dalek things?" She asked. Rose nodded, focusing on the drawings. "They bring nothing but bad, don't they? Ruin your life, and his. Ruined mine." She sighed. "Took away the one good thing I had in my life. Totally destroyed it."

"Laszlo?" Rose asked, and Tallulah nodded. "Listen," She said turning to the show girl, taking her hands in hers. "If you love him, truly love him, then nothin' is gonna stop ya from being with him. Not Daleks, not being different from each other. The future you pictured? Coulda changed in so many other ways. This is just the one you've been given."

Tallulah looked like she wanted to argue but stopped, nodding with a weak smile.

"Gotcha!" Martha yelled, and Rose dropped Tallulah's hands to rush over to see what was there. "On the mast, those little lines are new." Martha pointed out.

"That must be part of the conductor." Rose said, dashing over to the open window area Tallulah was looking at before.

Craning her neck out, she could see the scaffolding leading up to the mast. Beyond that, just barely, she could see strips of metal that reminded her of the side of a Dalek shell.

"We need to figure out how to get those off before the storm gets here." Rose said as she reentered the room.

"How?" Martha asked.

The lifts dinged, and Martha and Tallulah back up to face them along with her.

The doors open, and Rose couldn't stop the smile that spread over her face when the Doctor and Laszlo stepped off together.

"First floor, perfumery." The Doctor joked as Rose's feet carried her over to him before she could think to move. He held her as tightly as she did him, and she could tell that what ever had happened, he hadn't expected to make it out alive. Or at least still in this body.

He let her go, accepting the hug from Martha as Rose said, "They attached some sort of Dalek material on the mast. Martha said it was Dalekanium. We were just trying to figure out how to get it off."

"Leave that part to me," He said, heading over to the open space, pausing when the elevator dinged once again. "No, no no, no," He said, running over to stop the doors from sliding shut and failing. He pulled out his sonic and pointed it at the panel. "It's deadlock seal. I can't stop it."

"Where's it going?" Martha asked.

"Right down to the Daleks. And they're not going to leave us alone up here. What's the time?" He asked, turning to Frank as he entered the room.

The young man checked his watch. "11:15," he replied

"Six minutes to go. I have to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits."

"Or, what? We have Hulk-like Daleks?" Rose asked, trying to ease the tension a touch. The Doctor arched a brow at her. "Wha? Mickey made me watch that horrible piece of rubbish."

The Doctor quirked a smile before dashing over to the open space, and Rose was close behind.

"Oh that's high," He said, a slight tremor to his voice. "That's very … Blimey, that's high."

"All the things you face, and height scares you?" Rose asked as she watched him take a hesitant step out on the scaffolding.

"A fall from much, much lower than this caused a regeneration," He said as he inched out. "Heights are not something I enjoy."

"And we've got higher to go." Rose said as she took a step out with him.

"Not we, just me." He said, glancing inside, getting Rose to look in as well. Martha, Tallulah, Laszlo, and Frank were a few feet away watching them carefully. Martha kept glancing over her shoulder at the lifts. "They're going to have to fight, and they'll need you to rally them."

"No, they really don't." Rose countered. "You have no idea what kind of fight they have in them."

He smiled affectionately. "And that's why they need you, because you see that when they're likely too scared to see it themselves. Up there is more dangerous than merely falling, Rose."

A rumble of thunder in the distance emphasized what the Doctor meant, and at that Rose nodded. He clutched her hand a quick second before darting up the scaffolding and Rose went back inside.

"The lift's coming up." Martha said.

"It's not likely the Daleks. If they really wanted to come up here, they wouldn't use the lift. Laszlo, can you tell us anything about the Pig men?" Rose asked him, turning to see him panting heavily as if still out of breath.

"They're savages. They're trained to kill. Slit your throat with their bare teeth."

Rose grimaced. "Right, so, bacon for breakfast tomorrow." She clapped her hands together, holding them to her mouth as she looked around the sparse room for anything to use as a weapon.

"Oh my god," Martha gasped, getting Rose's attention.

Laszlo was on the floor looking flushed and dizzy as he propped himself up in Tallulah's arms.

"Laszlo? What is it?" She asked him as he tried to get back up.

"It's nothing." He lied terribly, trying to stand and failing, this time bringing Tallulah down with him.

She put a hand on his forehead. "Oh honey, you're burning up."

"One man down and we ain't even started yet." Frank said, taking a deep breath.

"We just need weapons, something the we can fend them off with while keeping our distance." Rose said, trying not to let her own panic show.

Thunder rumbled outside once more, a dim flicker of light at their backs.

And Martha's eyes lit up. "Lightning." She said with a smile. "We can electrocute them."

"How?" Rose asked, relinquishing leadership to Martha in that moment.

She ran over to the other side of the room. "We can use these rods, make a sort of line from the outside to the lift. When the building gets zapped it's going to his the whole thing, so it's going to catch on to these, and zap anything inside."

"There's not enough," Rose pointed out.

"I think there's more on the scaffolding." Frank through a thumb over his shoulder before running to get it.

Rose smiled at Martha. "Let's get started then, yeah?"

The girls started lining up the pipes, using chairs and sawhorses to keep the rods off the ground. Frank assisted, bringing in any extra rods they needed from outside and getting the ones setup aligned. Tallulah and Laszlo sat off to the side, the latter looking worse by the minute with nothing that could be done to help. At least, not right not.

"I think that should do it." Martha said as the three of them backed away, watching the floor counter as the lift neared them.

As the lift chimed, lightning struck, the light blinding as the electric current buzzed around them, punctuated by a scream from outside.

Rose whipped her head toward the open space, hoping she didn't hear what she thought she had. When the lightning ebbed she was on her feet, darting out the window before she could see the carnage they caused.

"Doctor," She called up. No response.

She started climbing the scaffolding, making her way up to the mast. She paused about half way up when she saw his sonic laying carelessly on a platform. She picked it up, noting it didn't look damaged before pocketing it. At least it wasn't burnt like the last one had been. Maybe he didn't get struck. _Or_ , a small voice in the back of her head whispered, _maybe he dropped it before the strike_. It made Rose climb up faster.

He was laying on his back by the mast, eyes shut and appearing unconscious. Rose rushed over to him, ignoring the obvious piece of Dalekanium still attached to the mast.

"Doctor," She pleaded, taking his face in her hands. "Come on, don't do this to me, not again." She begged, stroking his side burns with her thumbs.

He groaned, hands going to her wrists. "Oh my head." He grumbled. "That's helping though."

Relief was so palatable that she nearly cried, turning her smile to Martha and Frank as they made it up to the mast.

"You survived then." Martha said, clearly as overjoyed as Rose.

"So did you lot." He said, sitting up and beaming at her with half lidded eyes from pain. "Knew you would."

"I can't help noticing there's Dalekanium still attached." She hesitated to point out.

The Doctor and Rose got to their feet, helping each other up. "We need to move." He said, leading them back down and back inside. "The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing," He continued. "They'll be using the sewers, spreading their soldiers out underneath Manhattan."

"How do we stop them?" Laszlo asked, getting to his feet unsteadily.

The Doctor had noticed, a tell tale flicker in his eyes as he looked over Laszlo, but he left it be. "There's only one chance. I got in the way, that gamma strike went zapping through me first." He said.

"Meaning?" Rose asked.

He held her eye. "We need to draw fire. Before they can attack New York, I need to face them."

"You what?" Martha asked, crossing her arms as she watched him pace in disbelief.

"Think, think, think, think, we need some sort of space. Somewhere safe, somewhere out of the way." The Doctor rambled, stopping short and whirling around to look at the show girl. "Tallulah!"

"That's me, three 'L's and an 'H'." She said automatically.

"The theatre, it's right above them. Can you get us inside?"

"Don't see why not." She shrugged.

"Is there another lift?" He asked Rose.

"Service one right around the corner." She pointed in the general direction.

"That'll do." He said, waving everyone to follow. "Allons-y!"

* * *

 

They entered the darkened theatre, moving along the aisles of seats, the Doctor quickening his pace before darting down one.

"This should do it," he said. Switching on the sonic, he held it up pointing to the ceiling. "Here we go." He added as Rose stood beside him.

A grunt from behind made her look over her shoulder. Laszlo wasn't looking any better than he had in the tower, and the way he sank in to the chair made Rose think he was going to pass out any moment.

"Doctor, what's happening to him?" Tallulah called.

"Not now, Tallulah, sorry." He said, watching the sonic in his hand.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked as she heard Martha and Frank join them.

"If the Daleks are going to war, they'll wanna find their number one enemy. I'm just telling them where I am." He explained, finally meeting her eye. "You should go, all of you. Frank can take you back to Hooverville."

"Not going anywhere." Rose replied firmly, shaking her head.

"Martha, Frank." The Doctor said, pulling his eyes away from Rose and focusing on them.

"Fat chance." Martha replied, sounding more brave than she had facing the Daleks before.

 _She has no idea what was coming_ , Rose thought, and before anyone could explain exactly how dire the situation had actually become, the doors to the theatre burst open on both sides.

A line of men appearing as though they had been hypnotized flanked them, keeping them trapped in the aisle. Each one had a gun, and while not trained on them yet, it probably wouldn't be long.

"Everyone stay calm." The Doctor said as Frank looked ready to charge. "Don't antagonize them."

"What about the Dalek masters? Where are they?" Laszlo asked from his spot one row back.

An explosion on the stage caused them all to duck down behind the seats, and after the initial smoke cleared, the Doctor slowly rose to peek up. Hesitantly, Rose joined him.

On the stage were two Daleks with Dalek Sec between them, chained and forced to move like a four legged beast.

"THE DOCTOR WILL STAAND BEFORE THE DALEKS."

Taking a deep breath, the Doctor climbed on the back of the chairs, stepping over each before making it to the front row where he stood with hands in fists at his sides.

"YOU WILL DIE, DOCTOR." The same Dalek decreed. "IT'S THE BEGINNING OF A NEW AGE."

It was all Rose needed to hear to climb on the back of the chairs.

"What are you doing?" Martha hissed, but Rose ignored her, making her way to the front row to stand beside him.

"PLANET EARTH WILL BECOME NEW SKARO." The second said.

"Oh, and what a world." The Doctor mocked. "With anything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt. That's Dalek Sec. Don't you remember? The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you've done to him." He said as Rose came up beside him. "Is that your new empire? Hmm? Is that the foundation for a while new civilization?"

As Dalek Sec spoke, begging the Dalek's to see reason, Rose took the Doctor's hand.

He glared down at her. "What are you doing?" He hissed.

"You're gonna die." She said.

"It's a distinct possibility." He replied, hand tightening around hers.

"Then I'll be right behind you."

"Rose," he started.

"No," She stopped him. "I'm all alone with out you. If I lose you, too …" She shook her head, voice caught in her throat.

The aggravation in his eyes faded to fear, allowing her to see that he understood completely. No more words were needed. Pulling her hand roughly to his lips, he pressed a hard kiss against her knuckles, the only goodbye he could give her.

"EX-TER-MIN-ATE!"

They turned to face their death just as Dalek Sec dove between them and the Dalek firing. He fell to the stage floor with a thud, and the whole room went silent.

"Your own leader," The Doctor said with disgust, lip curling. "The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness and you destroyed him." He looked to the men lining the aisles. "Do you see what they did? Huh? You see what a Dalek really is?"

"WARN-ING. DALEK-HUMANS SHOW INCREASED LEVELS OF SER-A-TONIN." One of the Daleks announced.

"Well if we're gonna die, let's give the new boys a shot. What do you think, eh? The Dalek-Humans. Their first blood. Go on, baptize them." He said, spreading his arms out while keeping his hand joined with Rose's. She held her head higher, staring down one of the Dalek's eye stocks down.

"DALEK-HUMANS TAKE AIM." It commanded. The sound of guns cocking filled the air.

"What are you waiting for?" The Doctor asked. "Give the command."

"EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" One cried.

"Rose," He said quietly.

She held his hand close to her heart, clasping it with the other as well. "I know." She said, though it was likely lost in the second Dalek's command.

"EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" It echoed, and Rose braced herself for the end.

Only it didn't come.

"OBEY! DALEK-HUMANS WILL OBEY!" A Dalek said, and Rose opened her eyes, looking at the equally astonished Doctor before he turned to the men around them.

"YOU WILL OBEY! EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" A Dalek insisted, but none of the men moved.

"Why?" One of them asked, and Rose put her attention on him.

"DALEKS DO NOT QUESTION ORDERS!"

"But, why?" The same man asked.

"YOU WILL STOP."

"But … why?" He insisted, and hope began to flow through Rose. She lowered the Doctor's hand letting go of it as he turned more toward the man who questioned.

"YOU MUST NOT QUESTION."

"But you are not our master." He said, the monotone of his voice some how sounding like it had conviction. "And we … we are not Daleks."

"No, you're not. And you never will be." The Doctor said, giddiness behind his pride. He turned back to the Daleks. "Sorry, I got in the way of the lightning strike. Time Lord DNA got all mixed up. Just that little bit of freedom." He said with a grin.

"IF THEY WILL NOT OBEY, THEN THEY MUST DIE!"

"Get down," The Doctor yelled over his shoulder before grabbing Rose and throwing them on the ground.

Gun fire sounded around them as Rose got her barrings, realizing the Doctor was right on top of her. Just as he came into focus, his lips crushed against hers quickly.

"Not the best time," He admitted as he pulled back. "But I had to, you brave, foolish girl."

She said nothing, couldn't say anything as suddenly the guns and the explosions ended, and the Doctor got to his feet. He extended a hand, pulling her up with him. He steadied her by the shoulders, making sure she was alright before he went to one of the hybrid men.

"It's all right," he soothed. "You did it, you're free." Just as a smile started to come over the hybrid, it collapsed, holding its head in silent agony as he and the others fell to the ground. "No!" The Doctor looked around. "They … they can't!"

"What happened?" Martha asked, rushing to his side, kneeling down over one of the bodies with him.

The Doctor looked them over, shaking his head. "They killed'em. Rather then let them live."

"Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed." Laszlo pointed out between pants. "One of the Dalek masters must still be alive."

The Doctor stood, "Oh yes. In the whole universe, just one." He started to move, and Rose and the rest followed.

All were quiet as they made their way down into the sewer, and with the Doctor leading them to where he seemed to know where the last Dalek would be, Rose fell back to give Tallulah a hand with Laszlo.

He leaned heavily on them both, his breathing becoming more erratic and his body temperature scorching.

"You okay?" He asked her, and all Rose could do was smile.

"Not my first go 'round with the pepper pots." She managed to coax a grin from him. "You just take it easy, yeah?"

As she looked ahead she noticed the Doctor was gone, and Martha was standing at a corner waiting for them.

"How's he doing? She asked, and Rose gave her a minuscule shack of the head.

Martha put on a smile. "We're back at the lab," She said. "The Doctor ran ahead a moment ago, but I'm sure …"

Laszlo stumbled, almost taking Rose and Tallulah with him. The managed to straighten him up, moving more swiftly into the lab. Once inside, Rose helped Tallulah lower him to the ground where the show girl cradled his head in her lap.

"Doctor!" Rose called out as Martha got down beside Laszlo, examining him as best she could without equipment.

As she reassured him, the Doctor came around the corner, looking defeated as he ran his fingers through his hair. He glanced at Rose, and she tilted her head toward Laszlo.

"His heart is racing like mad," Martha said to him. "I've never seen anything like it."

"He says he can't breathe." Tallulah whimpered. "What's the matter with him."

"It's time, Sweetheart." Laszlo wheezed.

"What do you mean 'time'? What are you talking about?" She demanded tearfully.

"None of the slaves … survive for long. Most of them only live a few weeks. I held on 'cause I had you. But now … I'm dyin', Tallulah." He said, reaching a hand up and stroking the blonde's cheek.

"No you're not!" She insisted. "Now now, after all this. Doctor," She turned to him. "Can't you do somethin'?"

As Rose turned expectantly toward him, she was taken aback to see the ghost of a smile on his lips as he stared at her adoringly. "Oh, Tallulah with three 'L's and and 'H'," He said without looking at the show girl at all, sliding his overcoat off his shoulders. "Just you watch me." And off he went.

* * *

 

Laszlo lived. It was a small victory when compared to all the loses they suffered, but it was something. After departing from him, Tallulah, and Frank in Hooverville, the Doctor, Rose, and Martha all made their way back to the TARDIS.

She greeted them merrily, humming delightfully in Rose's mind as she walked through the console room while running her hands over all the coral struts she could.

"I think I'm going to have a hot shower and turn in." Martha said, moving with heavy limbs toward the corridor. "It's been…."

"I hear ya." Rose said with a grin, and Martha smiled back. "We'll see you in the morning." She added.

"Goodnight Rose, Doctor." She waved, smiling at the latter a little longer before rounding the corner and disappearing.

The Doctor's arms came around Rose from behind. "No Paris tonight." He said into her hair. "You need rest."

"So do you." She replied. "You're getting to be just as jeopardy friendly as I am." She added and he hummed in agreement.

"Speaking of which," He said, turning her around but keeping a hold on her. "I get it. I don't like it, but I understand." He said. Rose furrowed her brow. "I forget, sometimes, for a moment, that there is no emergency program one for you anymore. I have no where to send you to should something happen to me. Well, there's one place, but …." He shook his head. "My point is, Rose, that I don't want you to be alone. And as much as I hate that you stood up there with me, I couldn't fault you for it."

"Good." She said, looping her arms around his neck and resting her head between his hearts. "So maybe next time don't offer yourself as a sacrifice, yeah? You've been doing that a lot lately. Makes me think you don't want to be stuck with me."

His chest vibrated. "Stuck with you. That's not so bad."

She smiled. "Yeah?"

"Yes," he said sincerely. "And first chance we get I'm going to prove it to you."

"Hmm, what happened to slow?" She teased, earning a laugh from him.

"Cheeky girl." He said, pulling back and looking down at her adoringly. Blood rushed to her cheeks, and reached up to stroke his thumb along the color change. "Come on, let's go get some rest, and when we wake up we'll drop Martha off home. Then, we'll see." He said, and Rose nodded in agreement.

Without another word, they walked hand in hand to her bedroom, pausing outside the door when they noticed that there was something different about it.

Where there used to be an image of a rose there was now a wolf appearing as though it was chasing after a lightning storm. Above it was a long line of Gallifreyan circles. They looked at each other, and hesitantly the Doctor opened the door.

What used to be a replica of Rose's bedroom on the estate was now something out of a luxury hotel. Rose's stuff still lined the top of the dresser, but the dresser had changed to an elegant black piece instead of the old, beat up brown one. A new vanity table sat in the corner where the old one had been, her makeup organized neatly on the top. There was no more shag pink carpet, that was replaced with light wood flooring. And the bed had grown, now better made for two than it had been before. The sheets and duvet were white, the pillows a mix of pink and blue. Blue walls made pink, cherry blossoms like flowers in tall vases on the bed side tables stand out.

"She's redecorated." The Doctor noted, moving more into the room. He opened the closet door, eyebrows hitting his hairline. "I, uh, think she approves of this." He said, gesturing between he and Rose.

"What was your first clue?" She teased with a grin, tongue peeking out as she ran her hand along the luxurious bedding.

He scratched at his side burn. "My other suit being moved into your closet. Well, our closet now." He turned around, shifting nervously. "I can start staying in the library again, or my room. Er, old room."

Rose laughed, climbing on the bed and kicking off her shoes. She patted the spot beside her, and he moved to comply. "I'm going to change." She said. "And then I'm turning in."

She headed into the bathroom, finding her PJs neatly folded on the counter beside the toothbrush holder now with a blue one next to the pink. Once she was finished in there she returned to the room, noting the Doctor was stripped down to his trousers and oxford, all other articles discarded. He had propped himself up with some of the pillows, and in his hands was a heavy looking book.

"She even brought my Quantum Physics book in here." He said, a manic grin stretching the corners of his mouth. "I'm almost starting to think I'm not going to have a room to go back to."

Rose chuckled as she slipped under the sheets, groaning in delight. "Don't complain." She mumbled sleep starting to hit her hard.

"I'm not," he said as she curled up against his thigh. He dropped an arm around her shoulders, stroking her hair. "I'll stay right here all night," He said quietly. "In case the nightmares come."

"Thank you," Rose murmured as her eyelids grew too heavy to stay open. With one last sigh, she drifted off.


	13. The Lazarus Experiment pt 1

"There we go, perfect landing!" The Doctor said proudly, and Rose hid a laugh from where she sat on the jumpseat. "Which isn't easy in such a tight spot." The Doctor pointed out before giving her a warning to hush. Not that she knew if she could do much better. Rose had, after all, seen the coordinates and understood exactly where they were.

"You should be used to tight spots by now." Martha said as she started heading toward the doors. "Where are we?" She asked.

"The end of the line, no place like it." The Doctor hinted, putting his hands in his jacket pockets.

Rose got up, adjusting the hem of her shirt as she stood by him. She smiled at Martha who looked unsure if she should open the doors. With a nod from the Doctor, she did.

"Come on," He said quietly to Rose, and she let him lead her out of the TARDIS into Martha's one bedroom flat.

"Home," Martha said as they stepped into the now cramped space. "You took me home?" Martha repeated, the hurt in her voice palatable.

"The morning after we left," The Doctor said as he took in the slightly messy space. "So you've been gone about twelve hours. No time at all, really.

"But all the stuff we've done," She said pitifully.

"All in one night, relatively speaking." He said, as he scanned over her photos, her desk. "Everything should be just as it was. Books, CDs," He glanced at a laundry rack and turned away abruptly, scratching at his side burn. "Laundry," He added as he avoided eye contact with Martha.

Rose glanced at the rack before Martha made a failed attempt at covering the line of panties with a towel, and blushed for her. It was highly unlikely Martha ever expected someone to be in her flat, let alone a man she'd only know for about a week. Less than a day if they went strictly by the passing of time on Earth.

"Back where you were, as promised." The Doctor added, clearing his throat.

"This is it?" She asked, looking like the puppy being dropped off at the pound. Rose turned away, looking pointedly at her feet as she leaned against the TARDIS. When her shoes proved not enough to hold her interest, Rose examined the surroundings.

From what she could tell, she and Martha had few if any common interests. Everything from the CDs on her shelf that the Doctor had been poking at, to the kinds of knick-knacks attempting to give character to the otherwise colorless space spoke of the difference between them. But Martha, for better or worse, was part of a special club that few had ever joined. And what's more, she had no one she could talk about it with.

"Yeah," The Doctor said after a long pause. "Rose and I are, uh …."

He was saved by the phone ringing.

"Hi, I'm out, leave a message!" Martha's voice from the answering machine cut in after another half ring.

"Sorry," The actual Martha said, and Rose dared to look up. Both of them were shifting around uncomfortably.

"Martha, are you there? Pick it up, will you?"

Rose chuckled, and Martha gave a nervous grin.

"It's my Mum," Martha waved it off. "I'll wait."

There was another pause. "Alright then, pretend you're out if you like." Her mother said after a moment, and Rose could practically hear the eye roll in the woman's upper-class accent. "I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things." Her mother said. Martha, apparently unaware, picked up the remote from her side table and turned on the television.

It was instantly obvious who her sister was when the screen came on. In the left corner stood a tall, beautiful woman who shared many of Martha's best features.

An elderly man was the focus of the press conference. "The details are top secret, but tonight I will demonstrate a device that with the push of button will change the future. Tonight, I will change what it means to be human." He said, Martha making comments throughout that Rose frankly didn't hear. Before she could learn anything else, Martha switched off the TV.

"Sorry, you were saying?" She said, shaking her head and looking to the Doctor.

"Yes, yes, we should, uh. Well, one trip is what we said."

"Yeah. I suppose things just kind of … escalated." Martha said, a sad yet still flirtatious smile on her face.

"Mmm," The Doctor hummed almost happily. "Seems to happen to me a lot."

"It was a pleasure, Martha," Rose smiled, stepping up and giving her a quick hug. "If you need someone to talk to," She added in a whisper, "look up a woman named Sarah Jane Smith. She'll understand." Rose gave Martha's back a gentle stroke before she stepped back, seeing the genuine sincerity in the returned smile.

Rose headed back to the TARDIS, giving the Doctor's arm a gentle squeeze before she stepped inside the blue box.

When the door closed behind her, Rose felt oddly deflated. She didn't want Martha along in the first place, not really. And while she spent a good chunk of their first couple trips feeling second best or entirely inadequate in comparison to the older woman she was starting to like her. The TARDIS hummed soothingly as Rose headed to the controls and prepared to send them into the vortex, easing her guilt at being happy to be alone with the Doctor again that mixed with the odd melancholy at leaving Martha. A couple moments later, the Doctor walked in, hands in his pockets, head down and eyes distant.

Without asking, Rose flipped the switch.

The TARDIS dematerilized, and Rose went over to the Doctor to comfort him.

He barely acknowledged her arms around his neck.

"You okay?" She asked tentatively.

"Yeah," he said absentmindedly.

Rose waited, hoping maybe those Brown eyes would focus on her instead of staring off into the distance.

"We could go to Barcelona," She suggested. "Or maybe we can visit that other planet you were telling me about? The one with the blue snow?"

"Mmm," He hummed. In the next second, his eyes became alert. "Wait, hold on." He said, moving around to the controls, popping something in real quick and getting the ship to land with a soft shudder.

The Doctor ran for the doors, popping his head outside. Rose could see through that crack the flat they had just left, and the girl they just said goodbye to.

"No, I'm sorry." He said. "Did he say he was going to change what it means to be human?"

"He did," She heard Martha say, sheer giddiness in her voice as the Doctor opened the door a little more.

Rose followed, replaying what she heard in the news broadcast in her head, wondering how she didn't question it before.

"Have any idea what it's about?" He asked as Rose stepped out of the TARDIS and back into Martha's flat.

Martha shook her head. "No, but Tish did ask me to go to some black-tie thing tonight. Likely it has something to do with that, seeing as how she was with the bloke at the press conference. I wasn't planning on going, but I suppose…." She trailed off, smiling knowingly at the Doctor.

"Brilliant." He said, hands in his pockets as the manic grin stretched over his face. "So, when is it? Three of us can hop in the TARDIS, go ahead a few hours."

"Whoa, hold on, mister." Martha said, gesturing for him to stop. "It's all well and good for you to skip the day, but I have things I need to do. I have to go pay rent, find out what's going to happen at the hospital work wise, I have … things. Especially if that was my last trip." She said with a catch in her throat, eyes falling.

"Well," The Doctor said, rocking on his heels and looking to Rose. "I suppose _we_ could jump ahead, let you do your thing and we'll land right back here ready to go when you are." He said, turning back to Martha with another grin, a little less manic than before.

"Still have on more problem." Martha added, wringing her hands. "I can only bring one person."

"Oh, that's not a problem." The Doctor mused. "Psychic paper."

"Except there's a guest list." Martha said, chewing her lip a second. "So unless that paper can make names appear else where …."

"It can't," He groaned, hanging his head in thought.

Rose looked between the two of them, both looking entirely down trodden.

Oh she didn't want to do this. She and the Doctor were a team, had been for nearly three years. Mutt and Lewis, Shiver and Shake. You don't break-up a winning team, it would only end in disaster. But the old man's words replayed in her mind, reminding her that anyone who claims they can change what it means to be human with some sort of device needed to be investigated. A guest list meant no Sir or Dame alias would get them through. And it's hardly as if she could pass for Martha if her sister would be there.

"You two go," Rose said with a forced smile as both looked up at her in varying degrees of surprise. "One last hurrah before you get back to your everyday life, yeah?" She said with encouragement to Martha.

"And what will you do?" The Doctor asked, shuffling his feet.

"Dunno, maybe I will go on an adventure of my own." She teased, tongue between her teeth as she grinned.

"Rose Tyler under no circumstances are you to fly that box outside of this flat." He said sternly while his eyes lit up.

"Or around it, actually." Martha added, seeming nervous that Rose would actually do such a thing.

"I've got books to read, movies to watch." She shrugged, picking at her nails.

"Okay, so Rose and I will just jump on ahead, be back here before you know it." He said, clapping his hands together once before gesturing for her to step back inside the TARDIS with him.

"See you in a minute." Rose said to Martha.

"See you in a few hours." She replied with a chuckle, giving them a slight wave.

This time it was the Doctor at the controls, ready to go the second the doors were closed. He flipped the switch, and the TARDIS's grinding sound echoed around them as they entered the vortex.

"Just gotta go change my suit before I set the coordinate for seven o'clock." He said, dashing down the corridor.

Rose walked around the console, running her fingers along the edge of the panel. The TARDIS hummed in her head, and she got the faintest idea that the Old Girl was trying to tell her something. Closing her eyes, she allowed the song in her mind to fill her thoughts. Something was coming to her mind's eye, something she wasn't sure was memory or dream.

"Rose?"

Her eyes popped open as the Doctor looked at her with a wrinkled brow as he snapped his cuff-link in place. He was deliciously handsome in that black suit and bow tie despite the matching trainers. It was a look she appreciated back in the parallel world when they posed as wait staff, and she enjoyed it more now that she wasn't forced to wear a waitress's dress. She bit her lip, smiling and nodding in appreciation.

"Oh that Martha's a lucky girl." She said as she walked up to him, running her hands along the lapels of his jacket. His brows shot to his hairline before he smiled smugly.

"Is she?" He asked.

Rose hummed appreciatively. "She's got herself a gorgeous date."

"It's _not_ a date." He stated firmly, making Rose smile just a bit more.

"Good to hear you say that." She said as she reached up and straightened his bow time.

The Doctor cupped her face, kissing her deeply, angling her head to better taste her it would seem. Rose refused to acknowledge her knees went a little weak before he ended it too quickly for her liking. "I wish you were coming with us." He said.

"Don't think a 'plus two' would work quite as well." She sais as she slid her hands to his shoulders. He hummed in agreement. "Have fun tonight," She encouraged with another lingering kiss. "And if anything interesting comes up, find a way to let me know. Use Martha's phone to call."

"Promise." He said, giving her a quick peck. "And in the meantime, stay out of trouble." He then turned his gaze to time rotor, pointing at it with a stern expression. "And don't you dare help her go somewhere." He warned, and the ship … giggled? Or at least she hummed like she was giggling. "I mean it, I will be very, very cross if I find out you took her somewhere without me, or encouraged her to fly you."

When the TARDIS didn't make a noise he moved over to the control panel, hitting a button and then flicking the switch. The grinding noise filled the control room, and the ship came to a shuddering stop.

The Doctor headed for the doors, grabbing Rose's hand and pulling her along until he got to the doors.

Martha was waiting on the other side in a lovely Burgundy dress, arms bare and a deep v-neck. The skirt came to her knees, and she had some of the best heels Rose had seen in a while. Jealousy flared in her chest, but mostly because she couldn't remember the last time she got to look that nice for any reason.

"Oh, Martha, you look lovely." Rose admitted, her genuine appreciation shining through.

Martha grinned shyly, smoothing out her dress. "You think?"

"Gorgeous." Rose reassured as the Doctor stepped away from the TARDIS. She'd never admit to him how much it killed her to watch Martha take his offered arm as he grinned. "You two be safe." She said, crossing her arms and leaning in the ship's door way. "And I want you home no later than eleven." She added with a tongue touched grin.

Martha laughed, "Alright. We'll see you later Rose." She waved as she and the Doctor turned to the flat door, leaving together.

And all at once, Rose deflated.

She headed back inside the ship, contemplating whether or not she should read a book in the library or watch a movie. In many ways she wished they hadn't skipped the day so she'd have had the excuse to curl up and go to sleep.

The TARDIS nudged her mind as she moved for the corridor, and it stopped Rose short. "Let's not do that again." She smiled at the walls. The ship nudged her mind again, and Rose sighed with a grin. "Yes?" She asked. An image blinked into her mind, making her blink her eyes as if she could see better. "Was that you?" She asked, and the ship hummed and blinked brightly. Rose chewed her lip. That was … new. "Show me again? Slower?" She asked, having no idea if that was the reason the image was so fleeting. Closing her eyes, Rose could see the billfold of the psychic paper clear in her mind.

Opening her eyes, she darted for the black leather jacket she had draped on the rail and fished inside the pockets. Her fingers caressed the billfold, and she pulled it out. "What am I supposed to do with it?" She asked the ship. "Can't change the guest list."

The image hit her mind so quick she had to close her eyes to focus. All she saw was the flashing of cameras, and the clamoring of out-stretched microphones. She blinked away the image, trying to make sense of it. "Oh!" She said, eyebrows hitting her hairline as the smile washed over her. "Oh you clever, clever girl." She said to the TARDIS as she stroked a strut. "Alright, if you think that will work, I better head to the wardrobe, eh?"

The TARDIS agreed, the humming turning into a happy sing song, and Rose took off.

* * *

 

Rose walked up to Lazarus Laboratories with a confident stride in her way-too comfortable high heels. They may not have been the killer ones Martha wore, but she could run in these while still looking completely professional. Her dark-blue dress, just a hue or two off from being a perfect TARDIS blue, hugged her curves without being tight. The black blazer she wore to cover her bare shoulders, as well as the black-framed fake glasses, helped her go into the mindset that she was here for work. Which, in a way, she was. Wearing far less make-up than she normally would, and her hair pinned up in a bun, she barely recognized herself in the mirror before she left. Chances are if there were someone she knew here other than the Doctor and Martha they likely wouldn't recognize her either.

She approached the man checking the guest list with a smile.

"Hi," She said. "I'm Rose Smith, I'm a journalist with T-A-R-D-I-S magazine." She said, showing the guy the psychic paper.

He arched a brow, scanning the guest list. "I don't have that media outlet on the list."

"Oh, I was afraid of that." She said with a sympathetic grin, putting the billfold in her hand bag and pretending to riffle around as she pulled the sheet from within it. "I actually met mister Lazarus earlier today, and he didn't think he could get me added to the list so close to the event. He gave me this letter just in case." She said, handing the paper to the guard.

His eyebrows shot up, and he smiled. "I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, miss Smith." He said, handing her the paper. "Better hold on to that, that signature could be with something someday."

Rose smiled as she slipped the paper back where it belonged. "Maybe," She added with a wink before stepping inside.

She moved the billfold with the psychic paper to her breast pocket as she moved toward the bar where other media personnel gathered and waited for the main event.

She was handed a glass of champagne, the common drink of the evening, and used it more to keep her hands busy.

"You I don't recognize." She turned to spot the older man from the news report smiling skeptically down at her. "And a woman as lovely as you, I would remember."

She smiled through her disgust, setting her champagne flute down and offered him her hand. "Rose Smith, T-A-R-D-I-S magazine."

"Richard Lazereus." He said as he took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"Oh, I know who you are." She replied. "The man who will change what it means to be human."

"And I have never heard of this magazine you work for." He said, staring a touch too obviously at Rose's cleavage.

"It's a new start up. Technology and Research Dominating in Science. It's a mouthful. They should change it, really."

He chuckled with her, but she could hear the licentious nature behind his as his eyes raked over her. "Perhaps then, Rose, I can give you an exclusive later this evening after the demonstration?"

"I look forward to it." She added with as charming a grin she could muster while trying not to outwardly shudder. Lazarus moved on, greeting someone else, and Rose grabbed her champagne flute. No longer wanting it just for something to hold, she tossed back the contents. The bubbles tickled her nose and the alcohol burned her throat, but she somehow felt a little better after.

Taking a deep breath, trying to think of what her next step in this half thought-out plan of hers was, she looked around the room.

And her eyes met the gaping brown ones of the Doctor.

Blush crept across her cheeks, and she signaled the bartender for another. Despite it being the drink of the evening, it took him a moment to fill her flute, and when he had the Doctor arrived beside her.

"You," He said low, next to her ear. "Were supposed to be watching a movie or reading a book."

"Old Girl had other ideas." Rose replied, taking a sip of the champagne. "Why? Something happening that I shouldn't be seeing?" She asked, turning a grin toward him with her tongue peeking out.

His nostrils flared, but not angrily. "Of course she did. So, how did you get in?"

Rose pulled the billfold from her pocket, showing it to the Doctor. "Still had it in my pocket from New York." She said as he took hold of it without taking it away.

He grinned, "Technology and Research Dominating in Science, Oh," he said, drawing out the word. "Clever, I like that. And the, ah, the umm," he coughed, "wardrobe?"

"TARDIS picked it out for me." Rose said with a shrug. "Guess she thought the glasses would make me look the part."

"They're … nice." He said monotoned, scratching at his side burn before rubbing the back of his neck. His ears were on fire as he looked everywhere but at her. "Alright, well, I just wanted to, uh, find out what you were doing here. And, umm, now I'm going to go back to Martha."

"Alright," Rose said, grinning that grin he liked so much, making him turn away quicker. She chuckled, allowing herself the blush she was doing so good at suppressing rise to her cheeks. So he liked the glasses? Tucking that information away in the back of her mind, Rose sipped her drink and waited for the main event to start.

* * *

 

_Earlier_

"Oh, black tie." The Doctor said as he fidgeted with the garment while they walked to Lazarus Laboratories side by side. "Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens." He said before throwing his hands in his pockets.

Martha laughed lightly, unable to suppress the giddy that coursed through her as if she were a teenager going to prom with _the_ guy she wanted. Claiming his elbow, she beamed just a little more when he didn't pull away. "It's not the outfit, that's just you." She teased. "Anyway, I think it suits you in a James Bond kind of way."

"James Bond? Really?" He asked, a satisfied grin coming to his face.

She couldn't help but stare at him as he guided her up the stairs, taking in the alien who sort of captured her heart in a weeks time span. Okay, maybe not captured her heart. Not fully. But he had a good, solid grip on it. Martha had reveled in the way he smiled at her like she was the most brilliant person in the room, even though sometimes she really was aside from him. And while she truly worried that maybe Rose was a bit more than just his best mate, those worries were squashed when she encouraged them to go on with out her, and the Doctor beamed like it was the best news in the world.

Maybe he didn't really want her to go, maybe he was only concerned about taking her away from her life. They had been in some pretty tight spots on these trips, spots where Martha was always a little worried at one point or another that maybe she wouldn't make it back in one piece or without considerable differences in appearance. He did look crestfallen when he dropped her off home, so maybe this crush bordering on more was two sided? He looked down at her and grinned, and it was enough to make her heart flutter.

Inside the party was in full swing, people gabbing and sipping champagne, taking nibbles off passing trays (which the Doctor did with enthusiasm), and all around this giant machine in the center of the room. In the center was a capsule type thing that reminded Martha of stasis chambers in science fiction movies, though she wouldn't voice such an observation around the Doctor. She learned her lesson back in 1599 with the whole Marty McFly reference. She cringed just thinking of how terribly stupid she sounded.

"Hello," Martha's attention was pulled away from the device and her memories, and toward her approaching sister who looked dressed to the nines, with her head held high.

"Tish!" Martha greeted in return, throwing her arms around her sister's neck.

"You look great," Tish complemented as she hugged her back. "So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?" She asked, gesturing around th room.

"Very," Martha replied, placing her hand back on the Doctor's elbow as he finished his last nibble. Tish's eyes followed the action before shoot up to the Doctor's face, eyebrow arched with intrigue. Martha had to admit it made her feel a touch superior in that moment.

"Who's this?" Tish asked.

"Oh, this is the Doctor." Martha introduced.

He swallowed what was in his mouth before extending a hand to her sister. "Hello." He said warmly.

"Hello," Tish echoed, turning back to her sister. "So you left quickly last night. Mum was worried, told her she shouldn't be. I guess we know why now."

"Ah, yeah," Martha blushed. "We, uh, met in the hospital during the … thing."

"Uh huh," Tish said, turning back to the Doctor. "Did she drag you out here against your will?"

"Oh, couldn't keep me away if you tried," He grinned, rocking on the balls of his feet. "So do you know what Lazarus is going to be doing tonight? That looks like it might be a sonic microfield manipulator."

"A science geek. I should've known." She said to her sister with a coy grin.

"What does that mean?" He asked Martha, brow knit in confusion.

"That you're obsessively enthusiastic about it." Martha replied in a flirtatious manor.

"Oh, nice," The Doctor said with a manic grin, looking around the room and nearly knocking her over as he spun and did a double take. He stared at something on the other side of the room beside the bar, and Martha followed his gaze.

"No," She said with disbelief, clasping her hand over her mouth a moment. "That's not …."

"Oh yes," The Doctor said with a quiver in her voice. A quiver that did not sit well with the date-like atmosphere around them as they stared back at a genuinely surprised looking Rose. Or at least someone who kind of looked like Rose, but the Doctor seemed certain it was his co-pilot.

"What's she doing here?" Martha asked, completely baffled by how it was possible.

"Ima," The Doctor's voice cracked, and he cleared his throat before looking back at her a moment. "I'm going to find out." He said with a weak grin before turning abruptly away.

"Who's that?" Tish asked, sounding suspicious. Probably because someone who was not on the list got in.

"Rose." Martha said in way of explanation, losing the Doctor in the sea of black suits. She turned back to Tish who seemed to be drawing comparisons between her sister and the blonde. "What?" Martha asked, taking her annoyance out on her sister.

"She his ex or something?" Tish asked slowly, just as their mother walked toward them with their brother on her arm.

"No," Martha cringed when she realized her mother was close enough to hear everything. "No, she's not like that."

"Are you sure?" Tish asked. "Because he's leaning awfully close to her, and she's doing an awful lot of grinning."

Martha whipped her head back around. Sure enough, the Doctor was leaning over Rose while she grinned, but no different than she normally would.

"Just friends, those two." Martha affirmed, turning back to her sister with a confidence. "Probably was just surprised to see her here."

"Who are you talking about?" Their mother asked, shifting around to see.

"Martha's date." Tish replied, much to Martha's dismay.

Their mother's eyes went wide with astonishment, looking ready to make some sort of remark when she got distracted by someone coming up to them.

Martha turned, smiling involuntarily as the Doctor grinned at her like she was the best thing in the universe. "She's here for work, doing an article for TARDIS magazine." He said as he stuffed his hands back in his pockets.

"Oh," Martha nodded, taking his arm again as she bumped her hip with his and giggled along with him. She caught her mother's scrutinizing gaze.

"You disappeared last night." She said, doing little to hid what she was implying.

"I went home." Martha replied.

"On your own?" Her mother asked, arching a brow as she looked over the Doctor.

Face heating, Martha looked at her feet as she tried to gain some composure. Clearing her throat she said, "Doctor, this is my mum, Francine Jones, and my brother Leo. Oh, and Tish, I don't think I introduced you properly. Everyone, this is the Doctor." Martha smiled, praying with everything she had to anyone who would listen that no one ask any uncomfortable questions.

"Doctor what?" Her mother asked as the Doctor shook her hand.

"Just the Doctor." He replied.

"They met in the hospital." Tish offered with a conspiratorial grin. "During the whole trip to the moon thing."

"Explains why I haven't heard a word about you before, Doctor." Francine said, looking him over as if he was bad-boys Tish used to bring home just to piss off her parents. Or maybe somehow her mother could tell he was a double hearted alien who whisked her away for a week that took place in a mere twelve hours. She wouldn't put it past her.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," A voice put a halt to any further conversation, and Martha joined the Doctor in facing forward. "I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I'm going to perform a miracle." Martha recognized him as the man from the news report Tish had been a part of, and when she turned to comment to her sister she found her gone. "I believe it is the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight you will watch and wonder, tomorrow you'll awake to a world which will be changed forever."

With a nod to a pair of technicians next to a bunch of controls, Lazarus stepped into the capsule.

The lights in the room dimmed and flickered as four pillars surrounding the capsule went bright blue, spinning with a whir that started to bother Martha's ears. Light surrounded the capsule, causing Martha to squint as she tried to watch, but couldn't.

Among all the mechanical noise a loud, shrill bell started going off, and the Doctor's arm was wrenched from Martha's grip.

"Something's wrong, it's overloading." He called over the noise before darting toward the now exploding control panels where those two technicians looked too terrified to do anything.

"Something stop him! Get him away from those controls." Some old woman shouted.

"If this thing goes off, it'll take the whole building with it." She heard the Doctor yell back. As it became easier to see, Martha watched as the Doctor pulled a massive wire from the controls. In an instant, the machine started to slow to a stop.

On instinct, Martha ran over to it despite not knowing what it was supposed to do, or whether or not the smoke coming from it was toxic. She and the Doctor got the doors open, causing more smoke to come out.

As well as a man. A young, blonde, familiar looking man that touched his own face like he couldn't believe he was real.

Not seeming to notice or care about Martha and the Doctor flanking him, the man stepped out, staggering a second before standing tall, arms out to the side in a triumphant pose. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am seventy-six years old, and I am reborn!" He smiled like he conquered a giant.

As the camera's started to flash, the Doctor stepped back toward the controls. He studied them with his hands in his pockets and a furrowed brow, and it didn't take long for Martha to want to sooth him in some way.

"It can't be the same guy," She tried to reason. "It's impossible. It must be a trick."

"Oh it's not a trick," The Doctor replied with an uneasy tone. "I wish it were."

"What just happened, then?" She asked, placing her hand on his arm.

"He just changed what it means to be human." He replied, not looking at all like he thought it was a good thing.

"What happened?" Rose's voice came up behind her, making Martha startle.

"You know the dermal regenerators in the medbay?" The Doctor asked, moving to stand between the two women so he could keep his voice low. Rose nodded, Martha just waited. "They work like the sonic, using sound waves to help repair. It doesn't repair internal injuries, it's not powerful enough. What this machine was designed to do, what it _has_ done, is take the same concept of technology but compounded. It used hypersonic waves to create a state of resonance. To repair the cells by reversing the damage done by nature and time."

"You understand the theory, then." Lazarus's voice came from behind her, and Martha turned to see him smiling over at Rose. "Miss Smith, I thought you would be more interested in interviewing me?"

"I'm still looking forward to that exclusive," Rose replied with a crooked smile and a tone that made Martha's stomach churn. "More so now than I was before. I just wanted to get a comment from the man who stopped the machine. It wasn't looking very good for a moment."

"It would have exploded." The Doctor said sternly.

"A simple engineering issue."

"An engineering issue that makes me think you haven't allowed for all the variables." He bit back, his eyes darkening in a way Martha had only glimpsed.

Lazarus looked back with amused condescension. "What happened in there was _exactly_ what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."

"And may I ask, Richard, what you plan to do with the technology?" Rose asked.

The way Lazarus looked at her made Martha's skin crawl for Rose, though she didn't seem to mind too much. Most definitely can't be involved with the Doctor, not with how she acted around Shakespeare and now this bloody wanker. Martha wouldn't have even put it past her to have flirted with that Diagoras bloke given the opportunity.

"Once we're properly certified, I'll be rolling it out commercially." Lazarus replied.

"Commercially?" Martha asked incredulously. "You are joking. That'll cause chaos."

"Not chaos," Lazarus reassured. "Change. A chance for humanity to evolve."

"That's not evolving, it's allowing you and your customers to live a little longer." The Doctor ground out.

"Not a little longer, a lot longer." Lazarus replied. "Perhaps indefinitely." He glanced past them, and the good humor in his face fell. "I have somewhere I need to be." He said, turning to Rose and clasping her hand, running his thumb along the back of it. "Rose, please, could you wait for me by the bar? I will come find you later."

"Of course," She said with grin.

Lazarus extended his hand to the Doctor, "It was a pleasure mister …."

"Doctor." He said, making no move to shake it.

"Doctor," Lazarus repeated. "It was a pleasure to speak to an individual with an understanding of the technology. Though I assure you, in a few years you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were." Without asking, Lazarus grabbed Martha's hand and kissed the back of it, turning a wink toward Rose before he stepped past them all and headed toward an older woman waiting impatiently by the lifts.

"Oh, he's out of his depth." The Doctor said as they all watched Lazarus get on the lift with the old woman, the arrow point up lit until the doors shut behind them. "No idea what kind of damage he might have done."

"So what do we do now?" Martha asked, gripping his wrist lightly

"Now … well, this building must be full of laboratories. I say we do our own tests." He suggested, looking over to Rose.

Martha raised her other hand toward him, pulling his attention. "Lucky I've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?" She asked with a grin, which only grew when he gave her that adoring, appreciative smile that stretched wide and made her insides burn in the absolute best way.

"Oh, Martha Jones, you are a star." He said, pulling his hand from his pocket and giving the fingers on her other hand a squeeze. "Shall we?" He asked, and she nodded eagerly. He turned to Rose.

"Go on," She said, her grin not holding near the weight Martha's and the Doctor's were. "DNA, science stuff, that's your thing. Finding out more of the personal side, now that's mine." Rose said, hand on her hip. "And I'm expected to be by the bar."

"You be careful," the Doctor warned, stepping so his back was to Martha. She wanted to side step, to read his face and Rose's and study their interaction with extreme detail.

"I will," Rose said with a grin and a wink, turning and heading back to the bar.

The Doctor stared after her a moment, his head tilting slightly.

"Doctor?" Martha asked, putting his hand on his wrist.

"Huh?" He said, turning abruptly toward her with dazed, half hooded eyes that Martha's stomach swoop as he looked her over. "Oh, right, yes." He said, shaking himself out of what ever possessed him. "Allons-y."

* * *

 

"So what's a dermal regenerate?" Martha asked him from her perch on a counter as they waited for results to load from the swab they took from her hand.

"Just repairs cuts and bruises." The Doctor said from the chair in front of the computer as if he was only half listening. "Rose has a tendency to be a little jeopardy friendly and has had more than a few experiences with the equipment in the medbay. Sorry, I didn't think when I was explaining."

"It's alright." Martha shrugged, taking in the way his jaw tensed in thought, and the way his cheekbones seemed more pronounced like this. She committed every detail to memory, wanting to be able to recall it when she would inevitably miss him when this was all done. "How did she come to stay so long with you, anyway?" She blurted without thinking, quickly wishing she hadn't.

"Rose was the first person I met after the Time War." He said absentmindedly. "She saved my life, and in turn I offered her the same trip I offered you. Except I blew up her job, and she wasn't in school so she had nothing to go back to. Well except her mother and her boyfriend."

"She has a boyfriend?" Martha asked, fighting the grin threatening to break through and glad she was behind the Doctor where he couldn't see her eyes go wide.

He chuckled. "Mickey the idiot. Not so much of an idiot now, but oh did I hate him. He's gone, so's her mother." He said, a touch of sadness to his voice. "I don't know if she told you any of that."

"She didn't." Martha replied, pieces starting to fall into place for her. "What happened to them?" She asked.

"Canary Wharf," The Doctor replied as if he had lost as much as Rose had that day. "Rose's family are tucked away in a parallel universe. Her Mom and the parallel version of her father fell in love, expecting a child. Mickey, he's a soldier there now. The only family Rose ever had, ever knew, and they're gone. She can never see them again."

"What about her Dad in this world?" Martha suggested.

The Doctor shook his head, turning to look at her over his shoulder before Martha could say anything more. "Died when she was a baby." He said.

"So when she says you're all she has left in this universe she's not being dramatic, is she?" Martha asked sheepishly, seeing now exactly how Rose was considered worthy enough to stay on with him when she was being sent home.

The Doctor smiled sadly. "She could have gone, but she didn't want me to be alone." He confessed, looking back at the screen.

Martha nodded even though he couldn't see her, and in that moment she wanted nothing more than to find Rose and hug her tightly. She couldn't imagine losing her family, any of them. No matter how batty they drove her, how much they butted in where they shouldn't, she couldn't imagine losing them all. Didn't want to. And she supposed that if she were as lonely as the Doctor was, she would never send someone like Rose away. Misery loves company, and their relationship now seemed perfectly clear to her.

The computer beeped, and Martha's eyes flickered up to see a strand of DNA displayed on the monitor.

"Amazing," the Doctor said as he pulled out his glasses and put them on while leaning in.

"What?" She asked, hopping down from the counter and standing behind him.

"Lazarus's DNA," He said, pointing to the screen.

Martha studied it. "I can't see anything different." She confessed.

"Look at it," He said, gesturing at it once more.

Something shifted, twisting the strand a bit, altering it ever so slightly.

"Oh my God, did that just change?"

"It did!" The Doctor replied, awe and worry in his voice.

"It's impossible," Martha remained adamant even as she saw it flicker and change in front of her again.

"And that's two impossible things we've seen tonight. Don't you love it when that happens?" He asked, turning to her with a genuine grin.

"That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns," Martha pointed to the strand on the screen, not finding it nearly as exciting as the Doctor seemed to be.

"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure, then a mutagenic program to manipulate the coding in the protein strands. He didn't regenerate his cells to a younger state, he hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate. Which explains how it happened so quickly, and why his DNA is changing."

"'Cause they're still mutating." Martha confirmed.

"'Cause he missed something. Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilize. Something that's trying to change him." The Doctor said, his grin fading as the seriousness of the situation grew.

"Change him into what?" She asked, unsure she wanted to know the answer.

"I dunno, but I think we need to find out." He said as he rose from the chair.

"He went to the lift with an older woman. I think it was going up."

"I hate to say this, but I hope he's still with her and hasn't gone back to give Rose an exclusive." He said, and the worry in his voice made Martha's adrenaline spike.

"That bad?" She asked as they left the lab.

He paused for just a moment to meet Martha's eye with his darkening brown eyes. "Oh yes."


	14. The Lazarus Experiment pt 2

The doors to the lift opened to a spacious office. It appeared on a glance around that there was likely a flat here as well. Martha had to give it to Lazarus: his research may be faulty, but he certainly lived and breathed his work.

"Where is he?" The Doctor asked as the two glanced around.

Martha couldn't hear anything that would tip them off that someone was in fact up here.

"Dunno," She said as she moved to the stairs case in the middle of the room. Peeking up, she couldn't see anything in the open loft above them. "Let's try back down stairs. Maybe he's with …." She stopped when she saw a pair of heels sticking out from behind the desk, toes pointing up in a way they couldn't be unless still on someone's feet.

The color was the same as Rose's, and Martha's heart leapt in her throat as she went to investigate without worrying the Doctor. The closer she got made her stomach clench as she realized that the shoes _were_ on someone's feet, and the remains of whoever it was had been mummified. A small bit of relief came over her as she noted the sensible skirt suit that belonged to the older woman Lazarus had left with.

"It's that woman." Martha pointed out, turning to catch the same look of relief on the Doctor's face before it changed to concern.

"Used to be her. Now it's just a shell," he said as he knelt down to get a better look. "Had all the life energy drained out of her. Like squeezing the juice out of an orange." He said, and Martha shuddered.

"Lazarus?"

"Could be," The Doctor said, though it seemed more like he knew that it was him for sure.

"So he's changed already?" Martha asked, morbidly curious about the body but desperately trying not to stare at it.

"Not necessarily," The Doctor replied, standing back up and turning toward her. "You saw the DNA. It was fluctuating. The process must demand energy, and this might not be enough." He noted, gesturing to the body behind the desk.

"So he might do this again?" Martha asked nervously.

The Doctor nodded before his eyes went wide and he met hers with panic. "Rose." He said.

"She was supposed to meet him." Martha confirmed.

"We have to stop her, now!" He said, grabbing Martha's hand and pulling her toward the lifts.

It would have been thrilling if it wasn't for the fact that the woman Martha was starting to consider a friend hadn't been in danger.

When they returned to where the party continued, she and the Doctor searched the room, hoping to find either Lazarus or Rose and discovering neither. A beat later, Martha spotted Tish. Her face was bunched in a scowl.

"Tish," Martha called to her, and her sister reluctantly came over. "Have you seen Lazarus anywhere?" She asked.

Tish snorted. "Yeah, he took that perky lil blonde thing upstairs for her 'exclusive'." She shook her head, turning to the Doctor. "Seriously, what is it about her? Not that I'm jealous or anything, because he's my boss and it doesn't matter how long I've been working for him or how attractive he's become I would _not_ risk being thought of as unprofessional."

"Where did he take her?" The Doctor asked sharply.

"The roof." Tish said, and the Doctor pulled Martha back toward the elevator. "Hey, what are you doing?" Tish called after her.

Martha didn't say anything more as the doors slid shut.

* * *

 

"What did you think of the demonstration?" A young man with dark hair asked Rose as he approached her at the bar.

She smiled politely. "Oh, it was fascinating." She said, glancing around the room.

"You make it sound like you've … seen this before." He noted, and something in the way he said it made Rose really look at him. Or rather his eyes, seeing if there was anything familiar in them and partially thankful when she found none.

"I'm a science journalist," She said breezily. "I've witnessed massive change in the past."

"Nothing on this scale." He countered, a fake, friendly grin pulling at his lips as he leaned on the counter.

"Not as such, no. But similar." She said, hoping he would leave it at that.

"I've never heard of T-A-R-D-I-S magazine. I'm pretty into the sciences myself, so I find it strange." He pestered, and Rose did her best to conceal the annoyance brewing inside.

"It's a new start up. We're big in North America." She countered, looking him up and down. It was then she noticed the small, white 'Vote Saxon' button on his lapel. At that, she grinned wider. "Ah, you're trying to earn my vote, are you?" She asked, pointing out the election pin.

He glanced down, chuckling as if he'd been caught. "Yeah, we can say that." He said. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name off your badge." He said, making as if he was about to take her hand.

A young, unfamiliar one scooped it up instead, the temperature the polar opposite of what Rose had grown used to with the Doctor.

"Rose Smith," Lazarus said, shooting the dark haired guy a look that told him to leave. "I offered you an exclusive earlier."

Rose turned toward him, deciding at the moment the Lazarus was the lesser of two evils. "You did. Oh," She said, tracing a finger along the lapel of his blazer. "Changed your suit. It's nice, brings out the color of your eyes." She added without a second thought, even though the suit really didn't do anything for Lazarus's complexion.

He smiled, "Thank you. Would you like to join me on the roof?" He asked, placing his other hand around Rose's in a possessive manner. "It's a positively lovely evening, and the view is fantastic."

"I'd love to." Rose lied, fighting the instinct to run the other way.

"Leticia." Lazarus called, and the woman who the Doctor and Martha had been talking to earlier came up beside them. "I'm taking miss Smith up to the roof for an exclusive interview." He said with barely hid innuendo. "I don't want anyone to disturb me." He said, and Leticia nodded, eying Rose over before turning abruptly. "Now, shall we?" He asked, leading her to the lift without waiting for an answer.

Rose wished there was some discreet way she could send a message to Martha, let her and the Doctor know what was happening, and maybe find out if there was anything going on with Lazarus that should make her listen to the voice screaming "run" in her head.

But as he stood directly in her personal space the whole way up the lift, there was no way Rose could do such a thing without rousing suspicion. If there was any to rouse, she supposed. Still, there was something overly skeevy in the way he acted, and she wanted to shudder the whole time she was near him.

He ushered her off the lift when the doors opened, guiding her quickly to the stairs as if there was something he didn't want her to see. The entered a small loft, and he guided her toward a door off to the side.

The cold night air hit Rose hard, and the shudder she'd been holding back unleashed itself.

"Cold?" He asked her, and she smiled up at him.

"Just the shock from the air, I'll be fine." She said, heading toward the the chest-high wall surrounding the roof, taking in London below. "It's beautiful up here." She said.

"It is." He replied, hand on her waist as he stood behind her.

Rose's heart rate picked up, making her tense beneath his touch. He chuckled, seeming to take the reaction entirely wrong. "I grew up here. That Cathedral there? It's Southwark Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in London. Been around longer than I have. Surviving the all those air raids."

"A testament of England's strength." Rose said, eyes moving to Big Ben. The air raids reminded her of one man. Well, one and a ghost who disappeared.

"Indeed," Lazarus said, trying to pull her closer.

Rose's mind tried to distract her by trying to find a single point during her time in London during the blitz that she could ask about. Without, of course, sounding like a loonie. Though, considering present company, crazy may be a step up.

The only thing that continued to pop up in her mind was the Doctor. The way he took her hands in his as he made her heart pound a moment before he examined them instead of dancing. The way they eventually did dance around the console room and the way her heart fluttered when he dipped her low.

She sighed outwardly, and Lazarus chuckled in his throat as he mistook why she had. "Is it what you expected?" Rose asked as that ghost in her mind continued to move. "The change? Did you expect you'd turn out like this?" She asked, remembering how that man in her mind, the one who she hadn't seen in nearly two years, changed to the laughing, pin strip wearing man who danced a little differently and smiled for everyone.

"I find that nothing's ever exactly like you expect it." He said, turning her around and taking both her hands as he closed as virtually all space between them. He really was misreading her, but Rose's curiosity forced her to play along, and find out what more she could discover.

"Oh?" She said, leaning away as best she could without pushing her hips into his.

"Mmm," he hummed in agreement and something … else. "There's always something to surprise you. 'Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act'…."

"Falls the shadow." The Doctor's voice rang in her ear, and her relief was so palatable she actually sighed with it.

Lazarus hands fell away, freeing her to move slowly toward the Doctor and Martha without Lazarus immediately noticing.

"So the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed."

"I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry. What with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all." The Doctor quipped, stepping forward, dropping his hands in his pockets. As he did this, Martha stepped away, and Rose had realized that they arrived hand in hand.

 _Not now,_ she thought to herself. _And besides, weren't you just letting a creepy old man get handsy with you?_ Her own argument squashed, she gladly stepped into Martha's half embrace as the two watched the pair of intellectual men spare with words.

"You're right, Doctor. One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more would I get done in two, or three, or four?" Lazarus asked, gesturing wide as if those lifetimes floated in the air to be examined.

"Doesn't work like that." The Doctor shook his head. "Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty. It's not the time that matters, it's the person."

"But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be." Lazarus countered, something in his face twisting.

"Or what a curse." The Doctor said pointedly. "Look at what you've done to yourself."

Rose watched as Lazarus twitched again, his whole face warping as the sound of cracking bones started to punctuate the air, followed by growling. She and Martha backed toward the Doctor, and Rose couldn't pull her eyes away from the grotesque transformation even if she wanted too. What she was seeing reminded her of the Racnoss, only so much worse. A scorpion's body with Lazarus's body from the torso up where the head should have been. And worse still, it looked like the flesh on Lazarus' body was decaying, making him look skeletal.

"Run!" The Doctor cried out as the thing reared up to strike them. He gripped both their hands, pulling them inside. Once the door was locked, the Doctor pulled his hand from Martha's grip, reaching in to his pocket and pulling out his sonic. After sealing and locking the door, he pulled Rose toward the stairs, taking Martha's hand once more to keep them all together.

It was a miracle when they made it to the lift, and Martha darted ahead to hit the button.

As she did, the Doctor pulled Rose toward him, wrapping his arms fiercely around her. "Are you alright?" He asked, the relief to have her with him ringing in his voice.

"More creeped out than I've ever been and in need of a hot shower, but otherwise fine." She said, placing a discreet kiss on his neck before pulling away.

A loud bang above them startled all three, and a siren started to go off.

" _Security Breach,"_ A computerized voice repeated.

"No, no, no, no, no!" The Doctor yelled, pounding on the lift door, pushing the call button a few times, taking out his sonic. "Lock down. Lazarus must of triggered it."

"Stairs?" Rose asked, glancing around and spotting the emergency exit to the left.

"Gonna have to be." The Doctor said, leading the way.

They ran down the stairs as fast as possible without tripping, Martha lagging behind as those heels were obviously starting to do a number on her feet.

"How can you move so quickly?" She asked Rose as they made it about half way down.

"I suspect my shoes aren't from Earth." She replied.

"They aren't. They're from the planet Ostarian 2. They had a thing for …." The Doctor started his ramble despite the panic in his voice, but it was cut short by a loud crash somewhere above their heads. "I think he's inside." He said.

"We'll talk shoes later." Rose said, following the Doctor's quickened pace. A beat later a pair of shoes fell down the gap in the winding stairs, and Rose glanced over her shoulder so see Martha running down the metal steps in her pantyhose covered feet. "That's the spirit!" Rose grinned and Martha laughed behind her as she started catching up.

As they crashed into the party, Rose looked around the room. About half the patrons seemed panicked, or at least partially so. A few of them were trying the doors, finding that they weren't opening and clearly unsettled by it.

"Lock down would have affected the doors." The Doctor said. "Couldn't do anything with the lifts, they weren't functioning, but we can get these people out." He reached into his pocket and pulled his screwdriver out, tossing it to Rose. "Setting 45." He said in way of explanation, and she darted to the doors.

Pushing past those who were in the way, Rose could hear the Doctor warning everyone that they had to leave as she changed the setting on the sonic device. Pointing it at the lock, she heard the click just before glass shattered from above. Screams echoed through the room, and suddenly Rose was being pushed and tossed about as the panicked masses tried to get out through the single door she had open.

Pushing against them in her own fight to escape, Rose was thrown hard to the ground. The pain shot through her arm, causing her to see stars and made worse when someone's heavy step landed on it, and she was sure she heard a crack. The champagne in her stomach threatened to make it's way back up, and all she could do was breathe through the agony. Tears stung her eyes, and she eventually got up on to her feet, though her head spun as her arm throbbed and her ears rang.

"Lazarus, leave them alone." She heard the Doctor call out, and she tried to find him in the dispersing crowd. Instead she found Martha with an older woman and a young man crouching behind a table. "What's the point if you can't control it?" She heard the Doctor taunt the beast as she made her way to Martha. "The mutation's too strong. Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool. A vain old man who thought he could defy Nature."

"What can I do?" Rose asked quietly as she knelt beside Martha, startling her as she examined the young man.

"Nothing, really." Martha said, flashing Rose a smile. "Just have to check on Leo." She said, turning back to the young man. "He's got a concussion." She said after examining his eyes. "I'm going to need help getting him downstairs." She then darted off, and Rose's eyes fell on the older woman who she could now see Martha bore a striking resemblance too.

"Your arm." The older woman said.

Rose glanced down, seeing the sleeve of her jacket was partially pulled back, revealing her purple wrist and hand. "'S nothing." She attempted to reassure.

"And how do you know my daughter?" The woman immediately asked, sounding suspicious as she looked over Rose wearily.

"Through the Doctor." She replied, wishing she had said anything else when the flash of fear came to the woman's eyes.

Martha returned a beat later, handing her the woman a damp napkin. "Ice to keep the swelling down. Rose, can you …." Martha stopped, eyes falling on her arm. "Oh my god." She said.

"It's fine, what do you need?" Rose snapped back.

"Can you help me get Leo out of here?" She asked, shaking her head and reverting back to her take-charge demeanor. Rose nodded, using her good arm to loop one of Leo's around her shoulders as Martha did the same. The two of them heaved him up, and with a glance over her shoulder, Martha lead them out the doors and out into the parking lot. "Tish, Mum, can you take Leo the rest of the way?" She asked.

"Where are you going?" Martha's mother asked suspiciously.

"Back inside. I can't just leave him." She said in way of explanation as Tish came to relieve Rose.

"You can't!" Missus Jones argued. "You saw what that thing did, it'll kill you.

"I don't care. I have to go." Martha said with determination.

"Martha," Rose said, deflecting the argument for a moment as she approached her holding the hem of her dress out. "Give me a hand." She said, holding her eye.

She didn't need to explain what she wanted, the determination Martha had to go back to the Doctor had been in her own. Kneeling down, Martha ripped a chunk of the skirt off, taking it from just above the knee to mid thigh. She made a sling for Rose's arm, and nodded to her as the two turned back to the building with determination.

"It's that Doctor isn't it?" Missus Jones yelled after them. "That's what's happened to you. That's why you've changed."

Rose and Martha stopped, the former looking to latter with an understanding only someone who left with the Doctor could understand. Martha turned to her mother. "I'm not leaving him." She said firmly before looking to Rose with a nod.

They rushed back inside, looking around them before hearing an explosion to the right. With only a glance between them the two darted toward the noise. Turning the corner, they stopped short as the Doctor crashed into Martha.

"What are you two doing here?" He asked, looking more at Rose. "What happened?"

She shrugged. "'S nothing." She said, reaching into her blazer. "Thought you might want this, though." She said as she handed him his sonic.

"How did you two find me?" He asked as he pocketed the screwdriver, and all Rose could do was quirk an eye brow.

"How do you think?" Martha teased with a grin. "Did you kill him?"

A growl and a crash behind the Doctor answered for them.

He shrugged. "More sort of annoyed him, I'd say." He said, and the girls turned around to head back the way they came with the Doctor on their tail.

"We're just going to go around in circles," Martha pointed out as they returned to the main area.

"Well we can't lead him outside," The Doctor said, looking around the room, eyes landing on the thing that made Lazarus change. "In there." He said, running over to the capsule and stepping inside. Rose climbed in after, pressing up against him as Martha squeezed in.

As the pain in her arm screamed out, Rose shut her eyes tight, leaning her head on the Doctor's chest and biting at his lapels to keep quiet.

"Are we hiding?" Martha asked quietly behind her, the sound of Lazarus out in the room almost drowning her out.

"No, he knows we're here." The Doctor explained quietly, lightly stroking the upper half of Rose's injured arm in an attempt to comfort. "But this is his masterpiece, and I'm betting he won't destroy it. Not even to get to us."

"But we're trapped." Martha hissed.

"Well, yeah, that's a slight problem." The Doctor growled back.

"You mean you don't have a plan?" Martha whispered yelled.

"Yes, the plan was to get inside here."

"Then what?"

"Well, then I'd come up with another plan."

"Would you two shut up!" Rose growled into his chest.

"Sorry," they both said.

After a beat, the Doctor shifted, reaching into his pocket and jostling Rose's arm. Without thinking, she cursed using the word she heard him throw around countless times and only knew to be a swear.

He stopped. "Sorry." He said, a light laugh to his voice as he pulled out his sonic. He pressed the tip to her arm, and it whirred and hummed against her skin. The pain let up slightly. "Better?" He asked, and she nodded against his chest. "Won't last long, just enough to give some relief for now." He said as he started to slide down her.

"Umm, Doctor?" Rose asked, blush creeping to her cheeks and chest as she was suddenly aware how much shorter her dress had become.

"Relax." He said, holding on to her leg to steady himself before he used both hands to pop open a panel. "I have a plan."

Despite the pain in her arm being temporarily relieved, Rose still had a hard time breathing. Never one for tight spaces as it was, she now had the Doctor on his knees in front of her where, should he look up, would giver him the perfect view of her knickers. And she was partially embarrassed to admit that they were a tad bit less fancy than the ones Martha left around her flat. The ends of his hair were brushing against her thigh, and the heat in her face was starting to make her sweat.

"So explain to me where that thing came from?" Martha asked, providing a nice distraction whether she meant to or not. "Is it alien?"

"No, for once it's strictly human in origin." He replied as he soniced some wires inside the space he opened.

"Oh, don't tell me we all have a little racnoss DNA in us." Rose cringed at the possibility.

The Doctor shook his head, tickling the inside of her thigh unintentionally. "No, that is something entirely different. An option that evolution rejected for you lot millions of years ago, but the potential is still there. Locked away in your genes until Lazarus unlocked them by mistake."

"Like Pandora's box." Martha pondered out loud.

"Exactly." He said, continuing to work on the the wires. "Why didn't you grab your shoes?" He asked.

"Didn't think to." Martha admitted.

Blue light filled the capsule, and a whir louder than the sonic started up.

"Oh, that's not good." Rose said, looking around the semi-opaque walls.

"What's happening?" Martha asked.

"Sounds like he's switched the machine on." The Doctor replied. "I was hoping it was gonna take him a little longer to work that out." He said as Rose saw the silhouette of the pillars surrounding the capsule start to spin.

"Hate to rush ya, Doctor, but …." Rose started to say as she put her good hand on his shoulder.

"I know, nearly done." He reassured. "Just trying to set the capsule to reflect the energy rather than receive it." He said.

"Wouldn't that make things worse?" Rose asked, tightening her grip.

He shook his head. "He's already spread too thin, if anything …." He grunted, "Just one more." He said as the faintest traces of pressure started from within, causing Rose's arm to ache again.

It suddenly stopped, and the Doctor slide back up as the machine quieted, slowing to a stop. They waited, and after a few seconds of only their heavy breathing, he opened the door, stepping outside and making room for Rose to follow.

"Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity," The Doctor said with a grin. "I must be out of practice." He added to his poor attempt to hide just how relieved he was.

Rose went a step further out to make way for Martha. Her eyes fell on before immediately looking away from Lazarus's body, human once again and naked.

"Oh God, he seems so human again." Martha said, resting a hand on Rose's shoulder, much to her surprise. "It's kind of pitiful."

Rose turned toward her, and she saw the sympathy in Martha's lovely eyes. She smiled back, because she understood. She felt it too.

"Eliot saw that, too. 'This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but with a whimper'." He said as his arm wrapped around Rose's waist.

"We should cover him up," She suggested, looking around the room and finding a table cloth. She left the Doctor and Martha's grip, picking up the cloth with her good hand and brining it to Lazarus's body. She draped it over his waist as sirens started to sound on the road way outside, and a few people began to peek inside. "At least give him some dignity."

"I'm not sure he's still alive." The Doctor confessed as she came to her side. "Come on, let's get your arm checked out." He said with a hand on her back, gently nudging Rose away.

She made sure Martha was following before they left.

Medical services passed them as they headed down the stairs, Rose noting police asking people questions off to the right.

"I can't be here." She said to the Doctor.

"I know." He said, "We're gonna head back to Martha's flat."

She nodded, hearing Martha's Mum and sister calling her name not far away. Martha darted past them, and Rose watched where she was heading and spotted the Jones'.

"What should we do?" Rose asked, turning to the Doctor to see what he thought.

"We'll need to let Martha know where we're heading." He said. "Don't want her to think we abandoned her."

Rose nodded, and they changed their direction slightly to meet up with their friend.

No sooner were they close did Missus Jones step up and slap the Doctor hard enough to rival Rose's own mother.

"Ah," He groaned, rubbing his cheek, mumbling about mothers.

"Keep away from my daughter! The both of you."

"Mum, what are you doing?" Martha cried out, turning away from her to examine the Doctor's face before scowling over her shoulder.

"He is dangerous! I've been told things." Missus Jones snapped. "And she's no better for following him around like a lost puppy."

"Oi," Rose growled, stepping toward the older woman who held her chin up. "I'm not some lost puppy, I'm perfectly capable of takin' care of myself."

"Yes, of course you are. Little, lower class estates girl who probably knew a thing or two about …."

"Hey, Hey!" Martha cut her off. "These are my friends, mum. Why are you being like this?"

"Look around you, Martha." Her mother implored. "Death and destruction."

"And that's his fault?" She asked, aghast.

"Technically I'd say it's Tish's fault, since she invited everyone here." Leo said, earning a rib to the side from their older sister.

"Listen to me, you posh snob," Rose ground out, stepping forward. "It ain't his fault a lunatic tried to go against nature, and it's not his fault idiots allowed the wanker to try it in front of a massive crowd. You can point ya finger at the Doctor and call him whatever ya like but the truth is he saved your ass tonight. And if you were half the woman your daughter is you would shut your mouth now before I show you a proper slap, yeah?" She threatened, and for a moment fear actually flashed in Missus Jone's eyes before indignation took it's place.

As the woman opened her mouth to retort, a crash down the road caught their attention. A glance at the Doctor, who seemed to know what it was about, made Rose bolt away from Martha's mother to follow the Doctor.

They found the ambulance a couple blocks away, lights still flashing as it had collided with a lamp post. The back doors were open, a body bag torn up on top of a gurney, and the mummified bodies of the two EMTs laying out on the pavement.

"Lazarus, back from the dead." The Doctor said, shaking his head. Taking out his sonic, he scanned the area as the sound of heels clicking on concrete came closer. Rose looked over her shoulder, seeing Martha in her sister's shoes catching up to them.

She stopped, catching her breath and taking in the scene before them

"Where's he gone?" She asked Rose.

"That way." The Doctor pointed to a church near by.

"Southwark Cathedral," Rose said, recognizing it instantly. "A testament of England's strength."

"No better place to claim sanctuary." The Doctor bit out. "Come on." He gestured before he started running once more.

They entered the cathedral slowly, the Doctor leading the way while holding his sonic like he would a gun. He guided them down the center aisle, past the empty pews toward the altar.

Rose glanced at Martha, noting how she trembled but kept a brave face. When she glanced over, Rose smiled, and Martha gave a nervous one in return.

The Doctor moved around the altar, and the closer she got the more Rose could hear the panting and gasping coming from behind it. Stepping up behind the Doctor, Rose caught sight of Lazarus hunched over on the floor with a red blanket around him.

He looked up at them, eyes wide, gasping. "I came here before, a lifetime ago." He said. "I thought I was going to die. I was sure of it. I sat there, just a child. The sound of planes and bombs outside."

"The Blitz." The Doctor said, understanding.

"You've read about it." Lazarus noted.

"We were there." Rose replied sympathetically.

Lazarus scoffed. "You're too young."

"So are you." The Doctor quipped back.

Lazarus laughed, though it was short lived. He coughed, gasping for air as his face contorted and sweat started to drip down his forehead. "In the morning the fires had died, and I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again. So I armed myself to fight back and defeat it."

"That's what you were trying to do today." The Doctor said as he circled Lazarus, his eyes shifting upward every so often as he examined what was above them.

Rose looked up, seeing the cathedral bell high over head, and about half way up the various landings was a large pipe organ.

"That's what I _did_ today," Lazarus corrected through his teeth, bent over and clutching himself.

"What about the other people who died?" The Doctor asked, pausing beside the girls. His hand moved as if to brush Rose's hair, touching her temple. _Go to the bell Tower,_ he whispered into her mind.

Rose nodded, taking Martha's hand in her good one and moving back around the altar to a door tucked off to the side.

"What are we doing?" Martha asked once they were behind closed doors.

"He told me to go to the bell tower. He has a plan of some kind, just don't know what it is." She said as they made it up to the archways half way up. She peeked out, seeing Lazarus thrashing more than he had been.

"When did he tell you that?" Martha asked, a catch to her voice.

Rose brushed Martha's temple with her fingers. When all Martha did was narrow her gaze she said, "He's telepathic, Martha. He told me with his mind." Martha gaped at her as Rose turned away, peering down below. "Lazarus's gonna become that thing soon, and if the bloody git doesn't get outta the way …." She shook her head. "Another stupid, foolish, suicidal move."

"Not this time." Martha said with renewed determination. She gently pushed Rose out of the way, leaning out of the arch as much as she could. "Leave him, Lazarus!" She yelled, getting the man's attention. "He's old and bitter, but us two up here, we're fresh, young, full of life."

"Yeah," Rose shouted over Martha's shoulder. "Still waiting for that exclusive up here." Lazarus left the Doctor, running inhumanly fast toward the door. "Time to move, yeah?"

"Up we go." Martha said, and the two joined hands as they raced up toward the bell tower, the sound of Lazarus closing in behind them. He was snarling, growling, and without looking Rose knew he had mutated again.

As they reached the last landing, the giant bell looming beyond a fragile wooden railing, the sound of the pipe organ filled the room.

"Quite the time to play," Martha huffed, glancing around them.

"Has to be part of his plan," Rose said, noting there was no escape except the door they came through. Lazarus's shadow was already darkening what little light was in the stairway, and a glance down made Rose's head spin.

"Ladies," Lazarus taunted with a his as his terrifying transformation appeared in the doorway.

"If he grabs me, make a run for it." Rose said to Martha.

"And leave you to die? Might as well stay here and let Lazarus take me too for what the Doctor would do to me." Martha quipped back.

"So together than?" Rose said with a chuckle through her pant, keeping her fear tucked away.

"Together," Martha said with a squeeze of her hand.

"Oh how sweet," Lazarus hissed. "Too bad I'll need to break up this party." He swung his tail down between them, and the two girls screamed as they were forced down and apart. Rose rolled, colliding with the railing, feeling it quiver at her back.

Lazarus made to swing again, taking out part of the wall on the wind up. He grinned wickedly down at Rose, and she tried to push herself up or out of the way.

Martha came up beside her, helping her upright as there was a brief pause in the organ playing. In the second it took Rose to register the pause, Lazarus swung down as Martha pushed her out of the way. The railing shattered, and Martha tumbled over, clutching the edge of the platform.

"Hold on," Rose said, diving between Lazarus and Martha to hold on to one of Martha's arms.

The music returned, louder and more piercing, causing both girls to clench their teeth as if it could ward off the sound. Lazarus's shadow swayed over them, his presence felt growing nearer as Rose clung tightly to Martha, and she clung tightly to the edge.

Martha yelped, and before Rose could worry as to why, Lazarus body fell over the edge of the landing, tumbling quickly toward the altar below as the organ stopped.

Slipping her arm out of her sling, Rose extended it toward Martha. "Take hold, I can pull you up."

"You'll hurt yourself more." Martha argued despite her fingers starting to slip.

"Pretty sure it would hurt you more to fall," Rose teased, and Martha relented.

Rose yelped in pain, closing her eyes against the burning tears as she used her knees as leverage to help pull Martha up. Once she was safe on the floor beside her, Rose let out a cry that echoed around them, followed by a string of curses in English, alien, and that one word in Gallifreyan she didn't know the meaning to. As leaned her head back against the wall, catching her breath, Martha wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Laughing, Rose put her good hand on Martha's arm, getting her friend to laugh with her.

"Rose? Martha?" They heard the Doctor call up to them.

"We're okay," Rose yelled back.

"You sure?" He asked.

"Yeah," Martha added, slowly untangling herself from Rose and standing. She helped her up, and the two girls stumbled back down the stairs leaning heavily on each other.

When they emerged to the main level, the Doctor stood from where he was kneeling over Lazarus's old and fragile looking body, and darted over to them.

Taking Martha into his arms first, he squeezed her tight. "I didn't know you could play." She commented against his shoulder.

The Doctor stepped back, moving to Rose and hugging her just a touch more gently as her arm hung between them. "Oh, well, you know," He said before pressing a peck to Rose's neck before stepping back, beaming at them both. "If you hang around Beethoven, you're bound to pick up a few things."

"Sculpting lessons from Michelangelo, picking up music habits from Beethoven, is there anyone famous you haven't paid a visit to yet?" Rose asked with a grin, her tongue peeking out.

"Oh, lots of people." The Doctor beamed back. He then glanced down to her arm, noting how swollen her hand had gotten. "Come on, back to Martha's flat. We'll pop into the TARDIS medbay and take a look at that arm."

* * *

 

"A full body scan?" Martha asked from over the Doctor's shoulders as they waited for Rose's results to come up.

"Can never be too careful," The Doctor replied, and Rose rolled her eyes at the smirk and wink he flashed in her direction.

When the scanner beeped to announce it had finished, she got up, swinging her legs over the side as the Doctor and Martha read the results.

"A sprained wrist." Martha said with a nod and a grin. "Just like I thought. Though you are really lucky that it wasn't worse."

"Tell me about it," Rose said with a grin, and the two girls chuckled before Martha looked back at the results.

"Everything else seems to be checking out." She said just as the Doctor's face fell and his eyes bulged. "Life expectancy," Martha said, taken aback. "You can tell that sorta thing?"

"Yeah," The Doctor replied automatically with shock in his voice, making Rose stiffen.

"It's only coming up as circles and lines." Martha said, furrowing her brow.

"TARDIS doesn't translate my language, not unless I tell her too." He said quickly before visibly swallowing. He then met Rose's eyes, his own wide and filled with wonder. "Martha," He said slowly. "Can you wait for me in the console room? I want to speak to Rose alone."

"Of course." She replied with a grin, squeezing his arm though he didn't seem to notice. Martha paused at beside Rose, giving her another hug. "Thank you for saving me." She said.

"Back at ya," Rose replied, hugging Martha back as best she could.

Martha then stepped back and headed out of the medbay, the door closing automatically beside her.

"What is it?" Rose asked the Doctor, not sure whether to be nervous or excited.

"Two hundred fifty." He said on a breath. "Y-your life expectancy has gone up another eighty years, Rose."

"Oh," Was all she could manage to say as the reason for his shock hit her full force. "Well."

"Two centuries. You and I, we'll have over two centuries together." He said more to himself than to her as his gaze traveled the room yet not really seeing anything. "Maybe more. It's only been a few days since the last test reading. Maybe …." He trailed off. "No, I can't." He said suddenly, snapping his eyes to hers. "I can't do that."

"Do what?" She asked, hopping off the scanner and going to him.

"I can't keep running tests on you. Not like this, not in full. Because if the numbers keep going up I'm just going to get more and more hopeful. Then one day we will hit a number and it will stay there, and I think that will destroy me more."

"So we just play it by ear." Rose said with a shrug. "Let things happen the way they do. 'S not like we had a time frame before, yeah?"

"You're right." He said, bending down and kissing her intensely. Her head clouded, and she had to hold on to him for support. It only seemed to spur him on more, grabbing her waist with one hand and pulling her in closer. The other hand cupped her cheek, stroking it with his thumb as his fingers lightly went into her hair.

When he pulled back she gasped for air, glaring at his smug grin. "What was that for?" She asked.

"For the small victory." He replied. "For knowing that there are centuries of that to come. Now," He said, taking a step back. "Off to talk to Martha."

"Be right there," Rose replied.

Standing in the medbay she took a moment to process everything. Two-hundred fifty years. Never really aging or changing. Something wasn't quite right, deep down she knew that. Two hundred and fifty was not the cap, and much like the Doctor she wasn't sure she wanted to know what that expiration date was. But the possibilities, oh those were all that raced through her mind. The things they could see, the things they would do together. Just she and him, Shiver and Shake, the Storm and the Wolf. Sure they'd likely have guests now and then, like Martha was, but for two hundred years or more it would be the two of them in the TARDIS. As it should be.

Sighing giddily, she headed back to the console room with a skip in her step.

"It's good fun though, isn't it?" She heard the Doctor's voice before she made it to the room.

"Yeah," Martha agreed wistfully.

"So, what do you say?" He said as Rose leaned against the entry to the corridor, taking in how he leaned against the console in a cocky kind of matter. She put her good hand on her hip, seeing how things played out. "On more trip?" He said enticingly.

"No, Sorry." Martha replied, and Rose smiled with relief.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor asked, confused. "I thought you liked it."

"I do, but I can't go on like this. 'One more trip.' It's not fair." Martha implored, her tone not as childish as it could have been.

"What're you talking about?" The Doctor asked, straightening up and crossing his arms.

"I don't want to be just a passenger anymore." Martha replied, and Rose's heart stuttered. "Someone you take along for a treat. If that's how you still see me, well, I'd rather be home."

"Okay, if that's what you want." The Doctor responded automatically, and Rose was only mildly ashamed that she felt relief once more. That was until he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. "You'll probably want to put this on a chain or something." He said, a grin pulling at his lips.

"What is it?" Martha asked hopefully.

"TARDIS key," He said as if it were obvious. "If you're going to become a resident, travel with us, then I think you should have one."

"Really? You want me here?" Martha asked, her mouth gaping with joy as she took the key from his hand.

"Of course I want you here. Why wouldn't I? You're a star." He said, laughing as she leapt toward him and wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back, turning his smile toward the corridor and doing a double take.

Rose did not smile. She did not laugh. Who laughs when they feel so utterly betrayed like that? One trip, turned three, turned as long as Martha felt like it. Could be weeks, could be decades, could be the rest of the medical student's life. It didn't matter, because Rose had no say over who stayed in her home, and that was the most painful realization she had come to in a long time.


	15. Tell me if you wanna go home pt 1

The argument started that night.

"Have I done something wrong." The Doctor asked when Rose pointedly avoided looking at him when he entered their bedroom.

The laugh came without humor and without her wanting it too, and Rose put a hand to cover her mouth to stifle the giggles. "A bloke is a bloke regardless of the species, I guess." She mused without as she went into the bathroom to change, closing the door part way so she could hear what he had to say.

"Oh, so I did do something wrong." He said, sounding a little too amused for her liking. "Alright, out with it, where did I go wrong? Was it hugging Martha?"

"It has something to do with Martha, alright, but your hugging her is the least of your faults." She said, pulling on her night top and bottoms, waiting to see if he would say anything more. When nothing came, she flung open the door, catching his smug grin. "One trip." She said, looking him dead in the eye.

And the humor left his face. "I thought you liked her." He argued weakly.

"I do," Rose countered. "'Cept for the fact that she has feelings for you, 'n' you invited her to stay on board full time without ever asking me."

Now the Doctor smiled and laughed without humor. "My TARDIS."

"Where I live." She replied.

"And now Martha does too," he said, clearly missing the point. It made Rose want to give him a slap her mother would be proud of. "And besides, you have brought your far share of companions on board without my asking."

"Name. One." Rose dared, crossing her arms.

"Adam Mitchell," The Doctor snapped back. "The bloody dolt who got a door in his head."

"I made the suggestion, you didn't have to bring him." She argued. "And I was certainly not heartbroken when you dropped him off home."

"No, of course not. You found Jack not long after." He raised his voice a touch.

Rose's jaw dropped at the audacity, and she shook her head. "We agreed to that mutually. He saved our lives, the world, and we haven't seen him since the Game Station. Where, I may point out, you met flirty lil' Lynda with a 'Y'. Tell me Doctor, was she all lined up to join us or replace me? 'Cause I really couldn't tell with the way you too were makin' eyes at each other."

"We were hardly making eyes at each other." He replied, his gaze narrowed as if he was trying to remember if that were true.

"Oh, right. You saved that for Madamme de Pompousass." Rose bit back.

"Do not bring Reinette into this." He warned, and Rose flinched as if the nerve she hit was her own.

"You left me to go after her, twice. Once for five and a half hours, and then immediately went back to bring her on board."

His mouth went in a thin line, jaw tightened, darkness filling his eyes he as ground out, "You had _Mickey_." .

"Who I never wanted with us." Rose reminded him, watching the muscles in his jaw twitch. "Sarah Jane suggested it, and you thought it was a good idea." She closed the distance between them, getting in his face as his eyes flashed terror. "See? You're the one that keeps bringin' 'em on board. And maybe I didn't have a say before, but I should get one now. And if you still don't think that I should, then maybe you need to find me a version of Jack that knows me and leave me with him for a few decades."

"You don't mean that." He challenged.

"Try me." Rose snapped back.

He looked about ready to say a hundred different things and none of them good as the Oncoming Storm, the Dalek's worst nightmare, was now turned on her. And she, the Big Bad Wolf who turned Dalek's to dust, practically snarled at him for even trying to use that on her.

Without another word, the Doctor stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

He didn't return the rest of the night.

Nor did he for the next couple weeks, which was fine with Rose because she meant every word. Well, almost every word. Deep down she knew that if he did leave her with Jack, she would be standing in the empty spot where the TARDIS had been screaming for him to take her back. Because as much as she didn't want to look at him, the thought of him leaving her behind scared her to her core.

For the first time, Rose wished she had gone with her mother to the other Universe after all. At least there she would have people she could turn to, but then again there would be no Doctor to piss her off.

The cycle was utter torment.

During the day, especially in front of Martha, they remained civil. Adventures were kept perfectly tame, the most dangerous possibility coming from eating too soon before boarding a roller coaster on a theme park planet, or tripping on the stairs of a giant museum. Some days Rose went with them, the idea of staying in the TARDIS being too much to bare, but most times staying in was exactly what she did. She finished a fair amount of books, mostly classics with romantic undertones or dystopian themed modern (to her time) novels. She did laps in one of the many swimming pools, and the TARDIS even created a room where Rose could practice her under-used gymnastic skills once her wrist healed. If the Doctor ever came close to finding where she was, the TARDIS would send her a warning, flashing her a mental image of where he was and then show Rose that she hid the door. Those became more frequent with each day, and when ever Rose started to feel guilty enough to cave, the Old Girl would send her an image of the Doctor being shocked while working on the console, or running into the wall after his ship moved a door just enough out of the way that he'd miss it.

Apparently the TARDIS was taking sides in this whole blow up, and it genuinely surprised Rose that it was hers she opted for. It was her that she sent the sympathetic soothing hums to at night to lull Rose asleep in the too-big bed, and as the days trailed on that made Rose feel worse. One side had to give, and soon.

The decision of who came on the seventh day of the third week of their cold war. Rose passed by the media room on her way to her new gym and glimpsed the Doctor and Martha sitting on the couch watching the Muppet Movie together. They were both all smiles, with only the bowl of popcorn between them to keep them from full on snuggling. Martha's head was leaning heavily on his arm, and the sight of it settled things for Rose right then.

After waking up the next morning, Rose found a trans-dimensional back pack and loaded it up with her things. Favorite clothes, a photo album, her most cherished knick-knacks. The TARDIS hummed sadly, sending waves of pleas to Rose.

"I'm sorry," She said softly, patting the blue walls of the bedroom she spent too much time alone in before throwing the pack over her shoulder and leaving the space behind.

It was a minor relief to find the console room empty, and Rose headed right over to the coordinate panel, putting in the date and time she unburied from the depths of her mind before preparing the ship to land.

"Going somewhere?" The Doctor's voice came coldly from behind her. Rose finished turning the dial she had her hand on before she moved to the switch, turning to face him.

"Have a look for yourself." She challenged him, hand on the lever that would take her where she wanted to go before he could change it.

He moved slowly to the coordinate panel, hands in his pockets and eyes glued to hers. It took him almost a minute to pull his eyes away from hers to see where she planned on going. Something in his posture fell.

"Game Station." He said quietly, making no move to change it.

"Five minute after we left." Rose acknowledged. "If Jack is there helping rebuild the Earth, than I can go help him. Better with two, yeah?"

The Doctor's eyes flashed up to hers. "How do you know this?" He asked, gesturing to the coordinated but not touching them.

"Bad Wolf." Rose replied. "She was an all knowing entity, after all. The moment she left my body had been … saved in my head. I'm using that to guess how long after would be safe to return to."

"You're leaving?" He asked, and for the first time in weeks the Doctor had no fight in his voice. Brown eyes looked into her hazel ones with defeat.

"Yes." She said simply. "You made it clear that this is _your_ ship. And more so that you really don't need _me_. Just … somebody."

"Rose," He said her name with desperation, closing the distance between them so quickly she had to take a step back, relinquishing her hold on the switch. He flinched at withdraw. "Please, don't."

She wanted to give in so badly. Just his eyes broke her heart, let alone the way he pleaded or the quiver of his lips. But caving would do nothing. Maybe in a couple decades he would understand where she was coming from. That is if he even remembered her by then. She'd always been replaceable, he's shown her that time and time again. Actions speak louder, her mother used to tell her, and his screamed.

Taking a deep breath to strengthen her resolve, Rose stepped forward, putting her hand on the lever once more.

A shrill alarm went off, causing both of them to wince. The Doctor turned to the monitor on the console, while Rose glanced around the room. Nothing seemed to be a matter with the TARDIS.

"Are you doing this?" Rose asked the walls, and the TARDIS sent her the equivalent of a firm head shake.

"It's a distress signal." The Doctor said as he reached over and changed the coordinates she had set. "We're being called to help. Us specifically."

"What's going on?" Martha asked as she jogged into the console room, looking between Rose and the Doctor.

"Latest adventure, Martha Jones." He replied with his normal enthusiasm while he made adjustments around the console. "Something exciting, possibly dangers."

"Sounds thrilling." Martha said with a smile as she bit her lower lip.

"Oh yes." The Doctor said, turning toward her with a manic grin.

Rose to shook her head in annoyance as she flopped down in the jumpseat, dropping her bag at her feet. She crossed her arms, accidentally catching Martha's eye as the companion looked up at her from the bag.

"Were … were you?" She stammered, pointing to the bag. Rose had to give it to her, Martha looked just as upset at the prospect of what that bag could mean as much as she looked hopeful.

Rose said nothing, opting to leave her replacement think what she wanted.

The Doctor flipped a switch Rose had had her hand on for the longest time, and the TARDIS shook about furiously as she was sent on her new flight path.

Rose had to grip the jumpseat with a stronger hold than she would normally have to, the TARDIS seeming to fight off the landing almost as fiercely as she protested the time they fell through in to the parallel universe. The ship hummed a grumble in Rose's mind, dimming the lights when she settled.

"What was that?" Martha asked.

"I dunno," The Doctor replied like he knew exactly what it was but didn't want to believe it. "Let's, ah, let's go find out." He said, turning to the doors without a look back in Rose's direction.

She could stay inside under protest, wait for them to be done what ever adventure they were about to embark on before heading off to be with Jack. But her curiosity was too strong. Scrambling up off the seat and chasing after the Doctor and Martha, she barely caught the door before it closed, stepping outside the TARDIS to find they were greeted by two tall, blue aliens.

Thin and gorgeous, she couldn't tell if they were male or female, though they looked terribly similar.

"Ah, the Cuplas!" The Doctor said with a grin as she came to stand at his right. He was beaming, truly pleased with the race that greeted them. He put his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. "Don't come across you lot all that often."

"Nor we you, Time Lord." They said in near perfect sync.

"Well, time war, wiped out all the others, just me left really." He said, scratching at his side burn as he fidgeted. "You sent me a distress call?"

"Indeed," They said, once more almost at the same time. "We need your help."

"That's what distress calls are for." He retorted.

"We carry in our cargo the last vegetation of our planet that is able to produce food we are able to consume." They said in that eerie way that started to get on Rose's nerves. "We are transferring them to the planet Ejima where our people have been granted sanctuary."

"Sanctuary?" Martha asked.

"Yes." They said, nodding almost at the same time. "Our planet is dying, the sun threatening to expand and swallow it whole at any moment."

"That's awful," Rose said, memories of the after math of her own planet being consumed flickering through her memories.

"Indeed," They said.

"So if you already have the vegetation, and a planet to put it on, then why do you need us?" The Doctor asked suspiciously, taking a step forward.

The two Cuplas looked at one another, nodding once.

"Because as of right now we are stranded." The one on the right said with the other only nodding.

The Doctor quirked and eyebrow. "Oh," he said, drawing out the word.

"There was a sickness," The one on the left spoke this time. "It raged through our population, and sadly it has infected the crew. Our other halves are below deck in the infirmary, but we fear they are too far gone to be saved."

"Other halves?" Rose asked.

"The Cuplas are born in pairs." The Doctor replied.

"Like identical twins?" Martha asked, and Rose noted how the med student seemed to be making comparisons between the two aliens in front of them.

"More than that," The Doctor said. "They are literal copies. Same DNA structure, same identifying markers, same thoughts. One embryo always split in two, with absolutely zero differences between the children. People of Earth often wondered in the early years if twins could feel each other's pain, hear one another's thoughts. The Cuplas can."

"And that is why we need _your_ help." Said one of them, though which one Rose didn't know. She was taking in her surroundings, seeing down the corridor they were in. There looked to be some kind of control room at the end, a mess of wires on the floor that even Rose could tell was a bad sign.

"We have been drifting for weeks," Said the other. "Trying to make the ship compatible with us."

"We were born together," The first one answered an unspoken question. "So we tried to make the ship accept that we are from the same family blood, though I believe we have done more harm than good."

"Oh," The Doctor groaned, "You really shouldn't have done that." He said as Rose stepped away, glancing around. There were doors on either side of the space, one being the obvious cargo door, the pair opposite to it in similar to lift doors.

"Why not?" Martha asked. "What was wrong with trying to fix the ship?"

"Cupla ships are poorly designed." The Doctor said, and Rose shot a glare at him that he pointedly ignored. "Made so that they can't be hijacked, as they need two exact biological matches to be operated. However, if they loose a pilot."

"Then the ship can't be controlled." Rose said as she walked around the TARDIS, running her hand on the wooden exterior while looking at the Cuplas over her shoulder.

"Exactly." The Doctor replied. "So you messed with the controls and now the ship is in worse shape than it was. You managed send to a distress signal to me, why didn't you just send one to the Cuplas on Ejima?"

"Because we are also ill," One of them said. "And with an entire crew in the infirmary they could not risk coming on board and being exposed as well."

Her fingers hovered in the air for a moment before hitting wood again, and Rose turned her attention away from the aliens to the TARDIS. Her heart leapt into her throat before hammering it's way down to her stomach as she stared at the gap between the TARDIS and _another_ TARDIS parked back to back with the other.

"So you want me to fix the ship, I can understand that much. But I'm not sure what else can be done." The Doctor admitted as Rose quietly ran around to the front of the other TARDIS. Peeking around the corner, the Doctor and the Cuplas were too occupied with each other to see what she was up to.

"We need you to pilot the ship to Ejima, and air drop the vegetation for them to retrieve. It has already been prepared for such a means of delivery." One of them said as Rose fumbled her TARDIS key off her neck and stuck it in the lock of the second ship.

She didn't know why she was surprised it slid in, or that the lock turned for her. It was the same ship, after all. Or at least, she assumed.

The Doctor's laugh sounded like an echo as she opened the door. "How?" He said, his voice distant as Rose peeked inside the TARDIS interior. It was exactly the same. "Even if I repair the ship," He continued, "you still need two pilots with the exact same bio-metric signature."

"Oi," A thick, northern voice came from behind her, and Rose's heart shot back up in her throat as tears sprang to her eyes. "What are you doing in my …." His words stopped short as she spun around to face him. Big ears, leather jacket, blue eyes that were fire and ice all at once. His surprise to see her made it all the more wonderful to see him again. "Rose?" The previous Doctor asked.

"Hello," She said, hearing the scrambling of feet coming toward them.

"Oh no," Her current Doctor said. "No, no, no, no, this is not good. Not good at all, why would you bring us together like this?" He asked, turning to the Cupla's who probably didn't move.

"It was the only way." One said. "And he agrees."

"You _agreed_?" Her Doctor whirled around to his past self, glaring daggers as his previous self crossed his arms.

"Not really," He replied curtly. "But when I didn't see any other choice I asked for the distress call to go to the future. Figured it was the only way to get someone I'd be willing to talk to. Didn't realize I'd get a stupid pretty boy."

"And where is she?" The Doctor asked, tilting his head toward Rose.

At this, his previous self ducked his head, glancing at Rose but hardly holding eye contact. "Where I left her."

"You left me?" Rose took a couple steps toward him, jaw dropped as she tried to think of when it could be for them. All the times she visited her mother and he chose to stay in the TARDIS, did he just go off without her?

"You said no." He lifted his head, his confusion clear. "Something about taking care of your boyfriend."

"Oh," The newer Doctor said, lifting his chin as he put his hands in his pockets. "That's when it is for you."

"Can someone explain to me what's going on?" Martha asked, stepping out from behind the pin-stripped Doctor and looked between the two Time Lords. "Who's he?"

"I'm the …." The older version started to say.

"Nine," The newer Doctor interrupted. "He's Nine. Nine, this is Martha Jones, she's only been with us for a short while." He said in such a way that his meaning was clear to Rose, but seemed like just a statement to Martha.

Nine nodded, smiling. "Ah." He glanced at Rose. "And what about you, how long have you …?"

"Three years." She said immediately. "Almost, anyway." She added, feeling her cheeks flush.

"Always with him, or?" Nine asked, shifting slightly toward her.

Rose could only smile and shake her head, the joy and ache at the sight of him battling for dominance in her heart.

Nine nodded once, accepting this before turning to his future self. "I've had a chance to look at both ends, and I've started with that one." He said, throwing a thumb over his shoulder. "They're a mess, and according to the system scans the green house will start going into failure in about three hours, and we have about a half a dozen Cuplas in need of serious medical attention."

"So we just need to get the ship fixed up in three hours." The current Doctor said, a little aggravation in his voice. "Though the time frame may cause some problems."

"Opposite ends, little contact, we've been in worse pinches." Nine said with a shrug.

"True." The Doctor nodded. "Alright, Rose, Martha, let's get down to our end and see what kind of mess we have waiting for us." He said as he turned away, and his other self went to retreat.

"Actually," Rose said, getting everyone to stop. "I'm going to go with him." She said, throwing a thumb toward the older version and catching both Doctors by surprise. When her current one furrowed his brow she added. "You'll have _Martha_ , after all." She reminded him, causing his gaze to narrow. "And he'll have me."

"Rose," The current Doctor said in a warning tone, and she glared back.

"It's fine, Pretty Boy." Nine said with a smirk, making her smile. "Or, what number are we assigning you?"

"Ten," He bit out through his teeth.

"Alright, _Ten_ , Rose can give me a hand, and you and your other companion can figure out the mess down there."

Rose didn't wait to hear if he could give himself an argument and promptly went to join her leather clad Doctor. Without a second thought she put her hand in the crook of his arm, catching him off guard as she stared down her pin-stripped one.

While his jaw had been tightly set before it eased up a bit. His eyes softening as he looked wistfully at them. "Be careful." He said gently, pleading like he had in console room not long ago. He seemed to not notice Martha taking his elbow in her hand, or the worry in her eyes as she glanced between the three of them.

"I will be." Rose said, understanding that it was more than just her safety he was worried about.

After a beat, the four of them turned in their respective directions.

* * *

 

The Doctor was sad. Oh he carried on in his usual manic way, dashing around the dismantled and discarded pieces of the control panel, shooting her grins as he explain what they would have to do way too fast, but Martha knew. It was there in those beautiful brown eyes, just like when he told her all about Gallifrey and the Time War. His heart was breaking, and there wasn't a question as to why. The bag on the floor by the jumpseat had told her everything: Rose was leaving.

She didn't understand why, exactly. She sensed there had been some tension between Rose and the Doctor for a couple weeks, and she noticed that Rose didn't always join them on their planetary visits, but she assumed the latter was because she had been there before. The former, well, Martha didn't know what to make of that. Maybe there was an unspoken rule that there could be only one full time companion on board, or maybe the Doctor asked her to leave. He had been extra close to Martha lately, allowing her a hand to hold, and arm to snuggle, time spent around the TARDIS just the two of them. Maybe it was possible that the Doctor asked for space so they could see where this was going.

A girl could hope.

As she handed him wires, she observed him. He rambled with enthusiasm but those eyes made her ache.

"Where was Rose going?" She asked abruptly, immediately regretting it when his whole body tensed up.

"Going?" He asked after sucking in a breath. "Rose wasn't going anywhere. Well, she was thinking of visiting an old friend, but nothing … nothing we have to worry about." He said unconvincingly, though it wasn't without effort.

"She's going home, isn't she?" Martha asked.

"Don't be daft, the TARDIS is her home," He said as he soniced wires into place.

"Well she must have _some_ family still around," Martha continued on, watching the Doctor as he did his best to mask how the pain in his eyes grew.

"She does," He said. "Me." And then as he reached for a wire, caught her eye and a flash of panic blinked over his face. "And you."

"But now that you'll always have me, she's leaving? She didn't want you to be alone, and now you won't be, so she's moving on?" Martha deducted.

"Nah," He said after a pause, shaking his head loosely. "Nah, she's just … planning a visit is all."

Martha let he subject drop.

"So the other bloke, this Nine. He's a Time Lord?" She asked as he finished what ever he was doing and darted for another panel.

"Yeah," The Doctor replied, a bitter edge to his voice.

"So the Face of Boe was right, then. You aren't alone after all. Others survived."

The Doctor paused with a tube-like structure in his hand, turning it over and looking at as if it was the most fascinating thing in the universe. "No." He concluded. "Nine is out of his time line. Or we're out of ours, however you want to look at it."

"But you can cross time streams, see other Time Lords." Martha said with enthusiasm, a smile plastered on her face even though the Doctor turned his back to her.

"No, I can't." He said slowly, quietly. "What we're in the middle of is very, very dangerous to the whole Universe. The Cuplas calling us both here was an astronomical mistake."

"Why did they call you both?" Martha asked, her curiosity getting the better of her as she stood up. Daring to, like she had since he brought her on board permanently, she placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Do all Time Lords share the same DNA? Are you like the Cuplas and have pairs? Not identical of course, I mean. No offense to him, but he doesn't exactly match up to you."

The Doctor turned toward her with a cocky grin. "I do look better than him, don't I?" He asked, straightening his tie with his chin going up. Martha giggled in spite of herself. "And sorta. We're sorta like the Cuplas. There's a thing Time Lords do, too complicated to get into the details since we're on a time crunch here. But we do, in a way, have duplicates. Except, unlike the Cuplas, we don't look alike and we can't really be in the same room as one another without risking the Universe imploding. But we can hear each other's thoughts." He said, his brow knitting together. "Which makes me wonder why I can't read his. Oh!" He said, eyes alight. "He's blocking me out. What are they talking about that he doesn't want me to hear?" He asked aloud, looking at Martha like she would know. Secretly she loved that look, it made her think he would turn to her for anything.

The Doctor's eyes went wide, and he darted for the panel, hands moving inhumanly fast.

"What? What is it?" Martha asked, kneeling down beside him.

"Bloody dolt is going to tell her stuff, mess with things he shouldn't," The Doctor mumbled.

"You can hear him?" She asked.

"No… yes. Sorta. Hard to explain. Umm, Martha, can you be a dear and bring me over that tubing? That one right there?" He asked her.

No sooner was Martha on her feet was the Doctor on his knees at the control panel.

"Oh, you finally got your end working." A heavy, gruff Northern accent filled the room, sounding tinney like it came from the speaker. The Doctor slapped his hand on top of something else, speaking quiet enough Martha couldn't hear him still. A reply came through, but it was muffled.

The Doctor carried on a conversation with the Nine bloke, and a few short sentences from what Martha would guess was Rose, then he was suddenly on his feet.

"Gotta grab something from the TARDIS," he said with a grin, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"'Kay," Martha smiled back as she tried to wrangle the heavy tubbing.

He headed off toward his ship, and Martha watched as he walked past it, standing next to the second one, pausing at it's corner as if he was trying to remember exactly which one was his. Had to have been bloody difficult to remember where one parked when his planet was around. After a minute he turned around, looking at his feet as he strode to his ship's door and disappeared inside.

* * *

 

It was a brilliant mix of awkward and wonderful to be with him again. As he reconfigured the wiring on the controls, both manually and with his sonic, he would steal curious side ways glances at her, his smile pulling up more and more with each glance. And Rose, for the most part, probably looked like a love sick ape to the man who she knew so well but barely knew her at all.

It had never occurred to her that, despite him having a time machine, that he went anywhere between the moment he first left and the moment he returned to ask once again. And here she was, in that time frame, a younger version of herself already regretting turning down this incredible alien because Mickey made her feel terrible.

"How long has it been?" She asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had been around them. "You know, since you last saw me?"

"A couple months." He said without thinking it over. "How long was it before I came back?" He asked.

"Can't tell ya that." She replied cheekily, getting him to crack that first real, beautiful smile since seeing her. Oh she missed that smile. Less manic, more goofy, blue eyes lighting up in a different way than the brown ones do.

"I'm going to have to forget everything anyway, so you might as well say." He replied, extending a hand toward her.

She placed the part she was holding in his hand. "Forget?" She questioned.

"I'm crossing my own time line," he said as he twisted the piece she handed him roughly on to a thing that looked kinda like a circuit board. "When this is all over I'll step in the TARDIS and make myself forget. I imagine he's either remembering bits and pieces of all this right now, or he'll remember it all at once when he steps into his."

"So he doesn't remember us having this conversation?"

"Not yet." He said with that goofy grin. "And Pretty Boy is probably beating his head trying to remember it all."

Rose laughed. "Alright," she said, nodding. "You came back about ten seconds later." She replied.

He fumbled the pieces in his hands, looking at her with a gapping mouth. "So we didn't just stumble on to each other again?" He asked.

She shook her head. "You disappeared, and I regretted it instantly. You came back and I ran for you."

"What about Rickey?" He asked, and Rose wondered for a moment if there was jealousy mixed with that curiosity.

She thought of the history, how much she hurt her ex-boyfriend, how often she left him behind for the Doctor, how he came with them only to choose to leave. "I left him." She said simply.

The Doctor seemed to think on this, though he made no comment. "You've got little hands," he said, gesturing toward them. "Come hold a wire in place for me." He ducked down under the control panel as Rose slid off of it. Scooting underneath, she wondered if this is what would be like to do repairs on the TARDIS with him, other him, if she didn't help Jack that is.

"So what have you done the couple months since I last saw you?" She asked as he began sonicing wires in place, enjoying the way his rough, calloused fingers brushed against hers more than she should.

"Oh, you know, nothing good." He said, glancing at her. She held his eye, watching his face fall the same way it always did before he told her something that made him hurt.

"Don't you dare tell her," Ten's voice cracked over an intercom.

The Doctor reached up and palming the console before seeming to find what he was looking for as a chirp sounded near Rose's ear. "Oh, you finally got your end working." He said in such a mocking way that Rose had to laugh.

"Yeah, I did. Didn't realize the Cupla ships were entirely bio-signature rigged. They've made quite the mess of the wiring and the readers." Ten said. "And since you've blocked off your mind from me for some reason, this is the only why I can tell you to not say a word."

"I didn't want to have my mind filled with hair products and ridiculous shoes while I tried to hurry this along and get out of here." Nine retorted. "And if the coms weren't working, and my mental block is working efficiently than how did you know I was going to say anything?" He asked, and Rose bit her lip to contain the laugh. Nine did a double take in her direction, grinning like it was the best thing he'd ever seen.

"Because memories are starting to come back," Ten said quietly after a beat. "Now, I need to step away to get something from my TARDIS. Don't do anything stupid in the meantime."

"What ever you say, Pretty Boy." The Doctor replied, moving his hand away from the communicator. "How can you still be around if that's what I become?" He asked her, and Rose laughed like an infatuated school girl. "Oh, of course, you _like_ the Pretty Boy look." He teased, though Rose could see the rejection in his eyes.

"It's not bad," She admitted, her heart catching as his smile disappeared. "I've missed this you, though." She said, brushing her fingers along his jacket. Oh how she missed him, the way the his leather jacket felt against her cheek, the burly arms that would wrap around her protectively or in joyous triumph.

"Not much to miss," he said, his tone that sharp, insulting undertone that usually came when he called humans apes.

"I asked if you could change back when you regenerated." She said, catching his attention. She looked up at the wire she held against the circuit board type thing above their heads. "I thought you were abducted or something at first, and when ya finally convinced me it was you I …." She glanced over to see his Adam's apple bob.

"How long were you gone for?" He asked accusingly.

"Gone?" She asked, confused.

"After I regenerated." He clarified.

"Never left." She replied, and he hesitantly looked over at her. "Same man, different body." She said, her free hand reaching up to the one holding the sonic, wrapping her fingers around it. "I learned that quickly."

He held her eye, searching for something as he turned and propped himself up on his elbow. "What did I say to make you come with me?"

She ginned. "Coulda said anything," She admitted. "Coulda told me you left something behind and needed it back, and I would have ran into the TARDIS and never looked back. Just like I did."

"How's it going down there?" The current Doctor's voice cracked over the intercom, his voice far from friendly. Rose and Nine jumped back from each other, and he humbled for the button again.

"Almost have the biometric comparison panel back up and running." The Doctor replied, his deep voice going deeper. "How about you, Pretty Boy?"

"Making headway there, Big Ears." He snapped back.

"Good," The Doctor replied back curtly. "Maybe you'd make more if you weren't on the intercom every five minutes."

"Oi, he's rude." Martha's voice came in more faintly. Ten asked her if she was doing alright with some part that Rose didn't catch the name of, making Nine scoffed. Rose furrowed her brow but he just shook his head at her.

"Right so, uh, Rose." Ten said nervously. "How are you doing down there? 'Cause you're more than welcome to join us."

"'S fine, I'm fine." She said, trying to keep her voice neutral as she took the wire Nine handed her and held it where he pointed to so he could sonic it. "You don't need me."

There was a pause. "'Course I do." He said so quietly it was barely heard over the intercom.

"Nah, you have Martha." She replied without a thought. "Been getting along fine the last few weeks without me at your side, you can get through another day." _Or a few decades,_ Rose thought bitterly, swallowing back the urge to saw anything more. She felt The ninth Doctor's eyes on her for the longest time, burrowing into her as if trying to read her mind without touching her.

"Rose," Ten said, sighing heavily. "Can we talk? Alone? Please?"

"We have a ship to fix." She countered.

"We have something to fix, but it's not the ship. Can you please come see me?"

She snorted a laugh. "I thought you said alone?"

"By the TARDISes." He said, the chirp of disconnect sounding throughout the room.

She really didn't want to go, knowing her side of things had not changed. But she found herself letting go of the now attached wire and pulling herself up from underneath the control panel anyway.

"Thought you said you never left?" The Doctor asked, his northern accent accusatory.

She looked down to where he laid half under the console and focusing a little too hard on what was in front of him.

"I didn't leave," Rose said. "Doesn't mean I'm not going to." His eyes flickered to hers before she turned away, and Rose swore she caught that same look of utter fear that her other Doctor had when he saw the coordinates she put in the TARDIS earlier.

She moved far slower than she probably should have considering they had a deadline before things started going sour, only made worse when she glimpsed him standing at the TARDIS already, hands in his pockets and looking past her.

She glanced over he shoulder, seeing her first Doctor fiddling with something.

"Yeah?" She asked, crossing her arms as she stopped in front of her current Doctor.

"I don't want to fight." He said with a heavy sigh. She tensed, a half a dozen different things she could say coming to mind, all pointing to how it was his fault they were in the first place. "I still … that is to say that I don't think I did anything wrong. I mean, you like Martha, you get along with her."

"It's not the point," She snapped back quietly.

"Then what is?" He asked. "Honestly, is this all because I made a split second decision? Because she was brilliant, and helpful, and helped you? Are you really ready to leave me over something so small?"

"It's not small," Rose snapped, quieter than she needed to. She felt like she was being watched, and as she glanced around the Doctor in front of her she swore she saw Martha turn her gaze away. "We were dropping her off home. The end of the line, her last trip. Leave you alone with her for a minute and she's getting a TARDIS key." She went to meet his eye, so she could reiterate how much it hurt, only to find he didn't seem to be paying attention to her. "I'm going back to other you." She said, shaking her head. "At least that way my last few hours with you will be pleasant."

"Rose," He grabbed her wrist, yanking her back to him. "Please don't say that, please, please, please don't say that." He begged, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He wasn't crying, but with the way his voice cracked, the tremble going through his body he may as well have been.

She instinctively put a hand on his back, but that was all she would allow herself to do. His nose was buried in her hair, soft whispers caressing the strands, words lost in the muffle of his lips so close to her, and Rose's resolve was breaking.

Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself away, keeping her hand extended to warn him off from trying to take her in his arms again. "Get your half up and running, yeah?" She said before turning away. She couldn't look at him, not this him, not the one who hurt her so often and had never had to face the consequences.

Rolling her shoulders, taking a few deep breaths, she rejoined Nine who glanced up at her and out to the hall before returning his attention to the piece of ship in his hand.

"So what do I do to piss you off enough you want to leave?" He asked, startling her with the gruffness of his voice. "'Cause anyone who stays through a regeneration as terrible as that one must have more patience than I deserve."

She laughed, blushing and hiding her face. "'S nothing." She said with a shake of her head.

"Nothing?" He repeated. "Didn't look like nothing." That caught her attention, and she shot her head up to see he was looking at some sort of metal box, moving it around in his hands but did nothing with it.

"You were watching?" She asked, not at all upset over it.

His ears turned red as he set the box down and strode with purpose to the control panel. "Oi, pretty boy." He called over the communicator.

A few seconds passed, and the intercom chirped. "Yes?" Ten said with a tense voice that surprised Rose.

"We've only got another hour and half left before the greenhouse gives out, and we're about an hour flight away from the planet. How are you coming along?"

"I didn't have a head start like you did," He growled back.

"But look how much we've got done." Rose heard Martha in the background. "Not bad for someone with no mechanical experience." She added.

"Yeah, but we still need to reconnect the steering to the link, no to mention the engine syncronizer and …."

"Got it, you and teacher's pet over there still have a ways to go." Nine cut him off. "I've only got a couple more things to do here on my end. If you need help …."

"Yeah, got it. Thank you." Ten replied, cutting out the communication.

The Doctor looked at her with that goofy grin. "Too bad for him, I was going to send you."

"Good thing he cut ya off, then, yeah?" Rose laughed, feeling oddly nervous as he inched closer to her, picking up that box along the way. He leaned against the panel next to her, taking his sonic to the inside where there was a mess of wires. He seemed to pay more attention to Rose than the device, and she really didn't care.

She remembered that look, vaguely. She couldn't recall the exact times he gave it to her, but she always remembered the anxious excitement that came with it. The same one that came over her now.

"So," he said, breaking the silence. "My future looks interesting."

"Does it?" She asked, smirking despite the odd wave of embarrassment.

"It does." He replied with a grin.

"In what way?" She asked, the corner of her mouth pulling up.

"I go back for you." He said, getting down on his knees as she hopped up on the control panel. He craned his head, twisting his body to attach whatever he had in his hand underneath. "That's surprise enough, but to see that I … if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I'd never believe I would be so desperate to keep a human with me."

"Can't be that desperate." She replied, watching him inspect his work, sonic where he seemed to think it was needed. "Don't even ask what I think about bringing someone else on board with us."

"'S my ship." This Doctor scoffed.

She glared. "When I was with you? Yeah, was. But since then so much has changed." He glanced up at her, waiting expectantly. "You really aren't going to remember any of this?"

"I don't have a choice but to forget." He said with a slight lift of his shoulders.

She chewed her lip. "I do something to save you. Something dangerous. I nearly kills me, and it … it forces you to regenerate. But it also sorta did something to me." She said. The Doctor came out from under the control panel, standing abruptly in front of her with a fierce protectiveness.

"What did you do?" He asked.

She reached out and stroked the supple leather of his lapels. "All I'll say is you're not the only one the Dalek's fear anymore." She smirked. "But what I took on extended my life."

"How does this tie in to the new companion?" He asked with a teasing grin.

"I've lost everything." Rose said, watching the way her finger tips traced the stitching on his jacket. "My family, my friends, my home. I chose you over all that. And I'd do it again, but … I need space."

"Because of the suck up?" He asked, sounding about ready to mock her.

"Because this isn't the first time that he's done something to hurt me the way he did. And while you and I have had our rows, you've never done anything that made me want to leave you."

"What has he done?" He asked gruffly.

"Nothing serious. He's just … you're just …" She held his eye, placing her palms over his hearts. When he put his hands over hers, eyes softening, she took a deep breath. "He's flirty. Has been from the moment he … and it has never just been with me. Which, I suppose I shouldn't … but there was one time he left me and Mickey on a Space ship for six hours to flaunt about with a French mistress."

"No," He grumbled, hands moving to her wrists. "I bring along Rickey?" He asked with disbelief.

Rose shook her head, managing a chuckle. "Trust me, I didn't want him along any more than you do right now." She sobered. "But that's the thing, that's why he and I …," She sighed. "Martha, the one who's with him now. One trip, 's all it was supposed to be. A thank you for helping us. Few weeks ago I walk in on him giving her a key and telling her she can stay as long as she wants. Never asked, not once. And since then …," She smiled sadly. "I thought I was special. He just keeps proving to me that I'm not."

"I don't know you." The Doctor said quite honestly, rough thumbs tracing the inside of her wrist. "Not really. I spent a day with you, asked you to come with me, and you said no. Yet in the last two months there hasn't been a single day when I haven't asked myself why. You know what that tells me, Rose Tyler?" He asked, and she shook her head. "Tells me that you are special, more than I care to admit. More than I'll probably ever care to admit."


	16. Tell me if you wanna go home pt 2

"And so I turn to you and say, 'You're not keeping the horse.' And then you say 'I let you keep Mickey.' As if I asked if we could have a pet on the TARDIS." Rose said, loving how she could make the Doctor, this Doctor, laugh. She wanted him to know her, even if he had to forget, and so she went about telling him stories of their adventures. She stuck to the lighter ones, having no desire to dampen the mood with melancholy, though she did oblige him before with the story of his post-regeneration Sycorax duel. "So yeah," She continued, "Fact that he ended up referring to himself as the Tin Dog didn't help much."

"Tin Dog?" The Doctor asked, shifting a little as he lay on his back beside Rose under the console. It was a move closer, one he had been making since the start of her tale spinning. What started out as a couple feet distance was now close to nothing, arms brushing as Rose spoke with her hands, and he made the odd gesture with a response.

"Yeah, like K-9."

"You know about K-9?" He asked, smile growing. "Do we have a K-9?"

Rose shook her head. "No, you gave a new one to Sarah Jane after the one you left her with blew up with the Krillitane. We have the horse, though I don't think I'm supposed to know about him. He's sorta hidden in a room on the TARDIS that she led me to one day. I've never said anything." She stopped, realizing what was going to happen. "Though I suppose secret's outta the bag now, yeah?"

The Doctor laughed. "He'll know in a moment." He stared at her, studying her as if trying to remember every detail of her face despite knowing he'd have to forget this moment for the time being.

"You're so different," She said as she did the same, committing the details of this face to memory like she should have done before. "Same man, but different. Different laugh, different smile."

"Not too bad I hope," He said sincerely.

She shook her head. "Not bad at all." She said with a smile.

He snorted. "Still, I've seen what I look like now. Can't tell me you prefer looking at this daft old face over his."

Her grin turned sad, reaching over and caressing her thumb over his cheek, feeling the stubble that just started to come in. Her fingers traced up to his hair, feeling the coarse nature of it, so different from the soft brown flyaway that she'd grown used to. She skimmed the edge of his ear, humming happily as he closed his eyes against her touch as she arrived at his ear lobe, lingering there before cupping his cheek.

"This daft old face is beautiful." She said sincerely, causing his eyes to fly open. "'S perfect, wonderful, and missed more than you can imagine. I don't prefer one face over the other, because it's still you. Who you are on the inside is what I see, always." She chuckled. "'Sides, this face didn't attract as much attention. Only other people who seemed to see it like I had was Lynda with a 'y' and Jack."

The Doctor grinned, laughing with her, turning to lay on his side. "Rose," he said.

"Yeah?"

"We've been done our repairs for a half hour."

"Oh," She said. "Should we check on the others, then?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Could." He said, a hint of an 'or' there that he didn't want to say.

"What about the Cuplas?" She asked, and he furrowed his brow. "We've been here for a while, and we hadn't seen or heard from them in all this time?"

"Good point," he said, suddenly scooting out from under the panel, extending a hand to Rose to help her up. She hopped up on the control panel, and the Doctor flicked on the communicator.

"Oi, Pretty boy," he called. "Are the Cuplas with you?"

"Why does he have to be so rude?" Martha growled in the background.

"No," Ten replied unfazed by his previous manners. "Why?"

"Rose was wondering. And I find it funny that they ask our help but haven't come around to find out the progress."

"Could just be tending to the greenhouse, yeah?" Rose thought aloud.

"Could be," Ten agreed with uncertainty in his voice.

"How're you making out down there?" Nine asked, putting his free hand to his hip.

"Not as good as I'd like to be, honestly." Ten replied, and Rose could hear the stress in his voice.

"Rose will go down to the green house and check on the Cuplas with the suck-up." Nine said, earning a "hey" from Martha that he pointedly ignored. "I'll come down to give you a hand."

"I dunno." Ten said wearily.

"A few minutes will not make the universe implode." Nine said with an eye roll.

"Fine," Ten agreed reluctantly after a moment. There was a quiet murmur on the other end, likely a conversation between he and Martha. Rose's phone started ringing in her pocket, and she pulled it out confused. "It's me, Rose." Ten said over the intercom, and Rose answered it with speaker phone. "There," his voice echoed, and the Doctor near her cringed. "Now we can talk to the two of you."

"Brilliant." Rose said, holding the phone closer to her mouth a moment.

The leather clad Doctor took her hand, which didn't give Rose much pause until she realized that the gesture wouldn't be nearly as natural for him. She only glanced up at him, taking in his brooding expression that he kept pointedly away from her as he lead them back to where his future self and Martha were.

It didn't surprise Rose all that much to see Martha had shed her jacket, or that she was standing as close to their shared Doctor as anyone could and still manage to work on the mechanics of the ship. Martha greeted the two of them with a wide smile, trying not to look at their joined hands and failing every few seconds.

"Alright," Ten said, glancing up from what he was doing. He did a double take, staring where their hands were locked together. "Girls, go find the Cuplas. Big ears, come here and give me a hand with the flight-path equalizer."

"Yep." He said gruffly, no popping of the 'p'. He gave Rose's hand a quick, firm squeeze before slipping from her grip. He passed Martha without a second glance, though she gave him a flared-nose once over that made Rose grin.

The two girls headed back toward the TARDISes, Rose holding her phone between them. "I only noticed those lift like doors." She said, pointing toward them despite the Doctors not seeing. Martha nodded in agreement. "Take it there's a lower deck?"

"Should be," Ten said as the girls headed toward them.

"One on the left." Nine added. "The right would be the infirmary."

"What if that's where they are?" Martha asked.

"We'll worry about that if we need to. Right now, just check the greenhouse." Ten replied.

They approached the left doors and they opened automatically. Rose and Martha stepped on the platform, and both instinctively looked for a button as the doors slide closed behind him.

Both yelped as the platform plunged.

There was a deep chuckle on the other end of the phone call. "Forgot about that." Nine's voice said as the doors suddenly opened.

Martha glared at the phone before reaching over and pressing the mute button.

"He is such an ass!" She said with such conviction that Rose had to laugh. "Of course the only other Time Lord in the Universe is him."

That made Rose pause just outside the lift doors. The Doctor hadn't explained they were the same person? But Martha must know, what with all the talk of needing two exact people for the bio-something controls. She was a Doctor, for crying out loud. A proper Doctor who had to have a better understanding of the bio-something-or-others than Rose had, so how could she not put the two points together?

"Yeah," Rose mustered out, deciding not to say too much if she could get away with it.

"So how do you know him, anyway?" Martha asked as they ventured down a small corridor, and without her knowing Rose took the mute off. "I mean, it sounds like you were traveling with him before you met the Doctor. How did that all work?"

"He didn't tell you?" Rose asked.

"No. Is he like an ex, or something?"

"Something," Rose mumbled, though it didn't seem to satisfy Martha. She smiled encouragingly, trying to get Rose to share. She caved. "Time travel, yeah? Nine and I have met, but this for him is before I start traveling with him. When we eventually part ways it's … sudden. A second after he disappeared I met the Doctor." She said, regretting how she explained herself.

"And you never found Nine again? Is that why you're still traveling with the Doctor?" Martha asked, and all Rose could do was swallow the lump in her throat as noticed a door to the left. "Maybe when it's all done, you and Nine can be together again." She tried to encourage.

"'S not possible." Rose replied, shaking her head slightly. "Time lines." She said as a throw away explanation as she noted the image of a tree on the door. "Think this is it."

Both of them hesitated. "Can we open it?" Martha asked, and Rose shrugged.

"Hold on," Ten's voice startled them. There was a faint beeping sound from the Doctor's end, and suddenly the door opened.

They both took hesitant steps inside, and Martha clutched her arms. "Is the planet really this cold?" She asked, rubbing her hands over her bare arms.

"Ejima is nearly tropical." Nine said thoughtfully.

"Well, doesn't feel tropical down 'ere." Rose replied, looking up at the trees around them. "How long did we have before the systems were going to start failing?" She asked as Martha plowed ahead.

"We should have had at least another hour." Ten replied, the stress mounting in his voice.

"Rose!" Martha yelled, and she ran in the direction it came from.

She rounded the corner to find Martha kneeling down beside the two Cuplas, both covered in red welts. They were both positioned as if they had collapsed without warning, and on instinct Rose moved to adjust them.

"Don't touch them," Martha half-shouted, reaching out a hand to stop Rose. "They said they were sick from skin contact."

"It shouldn't affect you," Ten said, his voice calm but tense. "Not unless you've never had herpes zoster."

"Chicken pox?" Martha asked, face scrunched as she bent over the Cupla to get a better look at the welts.

"It's the alien strain of it," Nine said. "It creeps up. Whole families were quarantined for months to limit the spread."

Martha put her hand on the forehead of the Cupla she was holding as Rose set down her phone and moved the other. It was stone cold.

"How warm are the Cuplas supposed to be?" Martha asked.

"Very warm blooded," Nine replied. "At least forty-five degrees Celsius."

Martha shook her head. "I can't get a proper reading, obviously. But I would say this one's only a little warmer than you run, Doctor." She said.

Ten sighed. "They didn't say they were this close to death." He grumbled.

"What do we do?" Martha asked.

A sigh on the other end. "We're coming down to give you a hand," Ten said. "We'll need to get them to the infirmary."

As they waited, Rose put her hand on the Cuplas chest. It rose, but barely, and she could feel the flutter of a heart beat lightly in its chest. "Still alive, good." She said on a breath, looking to Martha who smiled nervously. "Not sure I ever had the chicken pox, me." Rose admitted, a shaky smile playing on her lips.

Martha smiled wider. "Don't tell the Doctor, that. He won't let you outta the medbay for a month." She said teasingly before something in her face shifted.

Rose promptly remembered that Martha had seen her bag. "Maybe." She mustered out.

"Rose?" Nine called out.

"Girls?" Ten yelled a split second later.

"Over here." Martha called to them, and the shuffling of their footsteps rushed toward them.

"Oh, that was quick." Ten observed, kneeling down and examining the Cupla Rose was comforting. He turned up to his previous self. "I suspect they knew how sick they were when they sent the call. It was more than them just not being able to make the ship compatible."

"It was the fact they knew they wouldn't be able to pilot long even if they could." Nine agreed. He swooped down, scooping up the Cupla Martha was with. "We should get them to the infirmary, see what we can do."

"Still have the ship to repair, then pilot." Ten reminded him. "And Martha's not familiar enough with alien biology to tend to them on her own."

"What do you mean?" Nine asked, brow scrunching. "Telling me suck-up is supposed to be some kinda nurse?"

"Doctor, actually," Martha snapped.

Nine scoffed. "You? Can't say I've seen a lot of medical professionals dress like that. Aren't you worried you might get alien blood on your fancy top?"

"Oi," Martha glared.

"He's stressed, don't worry about him." Rose waved it off, looking up at him. "Be nice, Martha's … fantastic." She said, smiling with her tongue between her teeth. His returning smile warmed his face.

"Alright, enough." Ten said, taking the Cupla he was looking over and lifting it up with as much ease as his other self had.

"Look at you, mister muscles." Martha said as she stood up, looking Ten over in appreciation. "It's bigger than you are."

"Oi, I'll have you know, Martha Jones, that Time Lords are superior to humans in many ways." He said with a smirk that made Martha blush a bit as she beamed at him. Nine snorted, shaking his head. "What is it, Big Ears?" Ten asked as they started to head out of the greenhouse.

Instead of responding to his older self, Nine looked to Rose. "I'm starting to see what you mean."

"About?" Ten asked as they passed through the greenhouse door and headed to the lift.

"Nothing. Just a personality trait of yours." He replied, giving a fake grin before stepping through the lift door.

Once they were all filed in, Ten turned to Rose. "What's he talking about?" He asked.

"Think you already know, Mate." She replied, watching as he considered this. His eyebrows shot up, and his gaze shifted to Martha for a moment before looking back at Rose.

"Oh," he said. "Now I remember."

"Remember what?" Martha asked as the lift shot up. No one said anything, leaving a subtle awkwardness that had Nine grinning like a fool and Ten shifting uncomfortably. They moved to the second lift, were shot down once more, but unlike the other lift these doors opened right into the infirmary.

Ten beds were lined in two neat columns, every one filled with a Cupla except for two. The two Doctor's moved their Cupla into one of those free spots, both seeming to know how to get them hooked up to the very alien looking medical equipment, including attaching what looked like an IV. Without a word, they then both got out their sonics and split up. They each scanned a row of Cuplas without needing to sort out who would do what. To Rose, it was a little creepy.

"His screwdriver is the same as the Doctor's," Martha noted. "Do they all have one?"

Rose shrugged, "The TARDIS sorta makes one for them when they break. Like when we met you, and he fried his other one. Just sorta pushes some buttons on the control panel and another pops up." She turned to Martha who was watching their Doctor as he did scans. "I guess if you own a TARDIS you can create one." She added on, though it seemed as though Martha wasn't listening. "He's not an ass." She said, getting the other woman's attention. "He has a rough past, he's suffered loss and heartbreak. He puts up walls and keeps people out but he's not an ass. He's a magnificent man, and it speaks volumes that you can't see that."

"Are you judging me?" Martha asked, a bit put off.

Rose laughed, shaking her head. "No, no, not at all. Your opinion is the one that most have. I'm just saying, you know, what if Ten, the Doctor, had been like that when you met him?"

Martha's face softened slowly, looking out into the infirmary, eyes darting between the two. _And now she gets it_ , Rose thought, her smile growing.

"I can't imagine the Doctor ever being like that," Martha said with a firm head shake. "I mean, they have a very similar past, are from the same race, and yet Nine is just rude, insulting. The Doctor would never be like that."

And with that, Rose sighed. Short of explaining the way of regeneration, Martha would never see past the exteriors.

"Good news," Ten said, flipping his sonic through the air before catching it and putting it back in his pocket. "They're all still alive. Bad news is that they won't be if they don't get treated."

"Which is something that can be done easily," Nine nodded in agreement. "But Doctor of the Apes here wouldn't know the first thing about curing 'em, and we have a ship to finish repairing."

"Then fly." Ten nodded.

"Well, I may only be a Doctor for _humans_ ," Martha said pointedly to Nine. "But with a quick run down on what to do I could take care of them."

"There's some anti-virus on the TARDIS," Ten said to her. "We can bring Rose's phone to the second control room, keep the lines of communication open so you can ask us what needs to be done."

"I have a better idea," Nine said. "Why don't you stay with her, and Rose and I will finish the repairs."

"I dunno," Ten said, glancing between Rose and his past self.

"There's not that much left to be done up there," He said. "And what's left is exactly what Rose had helped me with earlier. We made a good team, can do it again." He said, stepping away and heading for the lift.

"It's probably best to have two Doctors down here anyway," Rose said, hiding her amusement much better than Nine was doing.

"Fine," Ten ground out. "Martha, stay here with our patients, I'm going to go to the TARDIS and grab the anti-virus."

"See you in a mo'." Martha replied as the two Doctor's and Rose stepped on to the lift.

"Still didn't tell her you two are the same?" Rose asked once the doors were closed.

The lift shot back up, and the sudden movements of it all was starting to make Rose's head spin. Stumbling back, she felt both Doctor's catch her, steadying her as the doors opened.

"No," Ten finally said, turning to face them with his hands in his pockets as Nine's hand fell into Rose's like a habit. "Considering once this is done it will be just another adventure, I didn't see the point."

Rose turned to Nine, "At least it's not just you who decides to keep that oh so important detail of your physiology secret."

"We've always done it. Don't normally explain it unless we need to. Some companions never see us change." Nine shrugged. "Anyway, we have a control panel to finish fixing." He said with a gentle tug on her hand. As she turned with him, cool fingers brushed her other hand, and a glance over her shoulder told her the newer Doctor had reached for her before turning to his TARDIS. He paused at the door, doing a double take as he realized she was watching him, and the faintest grin came to his lips before he stepped inside.

She and the previous Doctor went to work the second they entered the control room. Rose remembered every step they took with precise detail, making the next move as soon as the Doctor was finished with the first. The work was going by quickly, more so than she was expecting.

"How's it going up there?" Martha's voice came on the com, and Rose and the Doctor looked at each other with confusion.

"'S fine." He said gruffly. "How did _you_ get on there?"

"The Doctor opened the link for me. We've administered the anti-virus and are just going to monitor the Cuplas for the next fifteen to twenty minutes to make sure it takes. He's gone down to the green house to see if there is anyway he can give it a little extra time before it gives out and the plants start dying."

"We're almost done here." The previous Doctor said after a few eye rolls and a shake of his head. "Go faster if we didn't need to give or be given constant updates."

There was quiet on the other end. "Rose, how long do you think you'll need?"

"Dunno, not long like he said." She replied, knowing they were finishing with the last repair. "Shout back at ya when we're ready, yeah?" She said, and The Doctor reached up and hit the switch before Martha could reply.

With nothing left for her to do under the console, Rose resurfaced, jumping up and sitting herself on the panel. She was surprised to see the Doctor jump up in front of her barely a second later. "You really leaving me 'cause of her?"

"I'm not leaving _you_ ," Rose teased with her tongue peeking out on the grin. "I'm thinking about stepping away from him for a bit."

"Don't do that." The Doctor in front of her said quickly, shaking his head. "Don't walk away because I become an idiot. Come travel with me for a while, I promise I'll still go back for the other you. Have to, if I don't it will create a paradox." He said as if it was the best idea he'd ever had.

"You know I can't do that." She shook her head, though a small part of her wished she could. "You're gonna have to forget this whole thing, and ya can't do that if this me is still with you. And if you were gonna try to hold off until I was too old to remember myself, you'd be waitin' a while." She teased, reaching out and stroking the lapels of his coat again. "I don't age, and I'm going to be around for centuries."

"How?" The Doctor asked incredulously.

"I said what I took on extended my life." She bit her lip.

He laughed, not like he found any of it funny but that he simply couldn't believe any of it. "And you did that? To save me? This me?"

"This you," She reiterated, tugging on his lapels to bring him closer.

His hands fell on her waist, and he came close enough to her that her legs parted to make room. This wasn't like him at all, not in the least, and she started to worry that maybe all this time she had been talking to some kinda shape shifter. "Not the Pretty Boy?"

She studied his fiery blue eyes, the one thing that could never be faked, trying to think clear as her head clouded and her heart started to pound. "I didn't do it intentionally. Didn't know it was possible. But … yeah, I guess I did."

He leaned closer, studying her eyes. "I don't deserve you." He said bluntly.

"I often thought the opposite," Rose managed to say. "That I didn't deserve you."

"Well that me certainly doesn't." He said with conviction. "Not if he's going to flounce off with every pretty ape that crosses his path."

"He … doesn't. Really. I guess." Rose started to stammer, her eyes falling on his lips. She remembered the Game Station on Satellite 5, could recall with almost tactile precession how it felt to kiss him. How accurate was that memory though?

"Rose?" He said.

"Yeah?" She managed to look up, meet his eye, see the torn look in them as he fought the same urge she had. Or at least she hoped that was the case.

Same man, different body.

"Sod it," She breathed before tugging on his lapels and bringing his lips to hers. It only took half a second for his arms to encircle her, hands sliding up her back and into her hair where his fingers tangled while his thumb grazed her temple. The other hand was holding her still as he pressed as much of himself against her as much as he could.

Different hair beneath her fingers, different mouth against hers. Where his older self had been slowly increasing the passion and intensity in their kiss, this one poured all his desperation into it. But there was still all those unspoken words between them, that feeling of belonging and home.

It probably wasn't the time to be thinking about it, what with this Doctor snogging her and leaning her back so he was slowly starting to lay on top of her with controls pressing more into her back, but Rose realized something then. This was the man who thought little of himself, who didn't think he deserved her, and in a lot of ways he was right.

Because he deserved better.

Because it was this man who had to deal with her inviting along Adam, and then Jack. This him who didn't see that despite those boys she adored _him_ , loved _him_ to her core and wanted nothing more than for what was currently happening to have been common practice. She did to this him what the next him was now doing to her, maybe not in quite the same way, but she still broke his hearts.

"Sorry," she pulled back, tears prickling her eyes. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, sitting her up and holding her close with her head resting between his hearts. "I'm so sorry."

"I'll forgive you," he said, making her breath catch. "Your thoughts sort of came through." He explained softly. "And I already know I'll forgive you each time."

"You don't know, not for sure." She said, her voice cracking from unshed tears.

"But I do." He said. "Because if I didn't, I wouldn't be in another room right now cursing myself for being the one you seem to want."

"Only with a Time Lord would that ever make sense." Rose chuckled against his chest, loving the vibrations in his as he chuckled.

"I need you, Rose. I'll always need you. No one will ever replace you no matter how hard they try." He soothed her. He stroked the ends of her hair, and she let the steady beats of his hearts lull her to a calm. "Oh," He said, pausing before pulling away. "I'm ready. In the other control room and ready to go."

"Yeah?" She asked, hopping off the console.

"Seems so. Fantastic! Let's get this bloody ship where it's going so we can all meet who we need to."

_~DWDWDW`~_

"Oooh, look at that." The Doctor cooed with a manic grin as he watched the red welts on the Cupla before him change to purple. He turned that winning grin on Martha, and she beamed.

Oh he was starting to make her act like a bloody idiot. Seemed that his mood was getting better and better as the day wore on, and while there was still a lingering trace of sadness in his eyes he was smiling more

"Anti-virus," He said, giving the IV bag a gentle squeeze. "S'all they needed. Good ol' fashioned anti-virus made by tweaking the chicken pox vaccine. Not really the chicken pox though, but I can't say the name without the TARDIS translating it to Chicken pox. Either way, anti-virus works the same, just more slowly. Let's get administrating the last of it to our patients, shall we Doctor Jones?"

"We shall, Doctor Smith," She teased cheekily, getting a light head bob from him as the two went about giving the Cuplas the medicine from the TARDIS. "So what's going to happen now?" She asked as she strung the bags of pale blue fluid next the ones the Cuplas' already had in place.

"What do you mean?" He asked, glancing over to her periodically.

"Well, we're almost done here. Cuplas will be on their way to recovery, we'll get this ship where it needs to be, but then where are we off to next?" She asked him, trying to dance around what she really wanted to ask.

"Oh, I dunno," He replied. "Where we're meant to go, I suppose."

"But what about Rose?" Martha asked. "Wasn't she going to see a friend?" He remained silent, seeming to find the bag of fluid hanging in front of him very fascinating. "Maybe Nine can take her. I know she explained she can't stay with him."

"She's not leaving with him." The Doctor said firmly, adding something else on a mumble.

Martha let that line of conversation drop instantly. What had happened between the two men that made them so bitter with one another? Rose said she me The Doctor shortly after Nine disappeared, so maybe it had something to do with that? Maybe it was a like she thought earlier with the companions, only room for one on the TARDIS, and the same applied to Time Lords.

"I'm going to go check on the Greenhouse," the Doctor said suddenly, a thoughtful look to his eyes. "We're getting the ship back up and running, power should be flowing better. Might just be that it was failing because of all the damage the Cuplas did trying to salvage it."

"Alright, I'll come with you." Martha said with a nod.

"No," He said a little too quickly. "No, one of us needs to keep an eye on the Cuplas, make sure they don't have any adverse reactions. It is made more for humans, after all, and if anything goes wrong because of a mix up with their biology should happen within the next twenty minutes, same as a vaccine." He said as he shifted toward the lift.

"How can I get a hold of you if something goes wrong?" She asked, patting herself down. "You two left my phone in the control room when you came down here."

"Oh," The Doctor said as if the thought hadn't occurred to him. It likely hadn't, really, if she was being honest. He moved to a small, desk like thing that had buttons on it, pushing the chair in front of it slightly away as he ran his fingers over the controls. "There," he said, just need to hold down the red button right there and you'll be able to communicate with Nine, which he can relay a message to me." He said, looking proud of himself. "I won't be long, really. Most I'll likely have to do is some jiggery poke to some panel or something and we should be on our way." And without another word he headed for the lift and disappeared.

Martha flopped in the chair, looking at the desk like thing in front of her and seeing a monitor for each Cupla. The TARDIS was likely translating the vital readings as she doubted an alien species would have English as their default language setting in their infirmary. Everything read steady for the most part, the things that seemed too low rising up slowly.

This must be why he's called the Doctor, because he always seemed to know just what do to put things right. So what was Nine? By the looks of him, she'd say he was a military man, likely from during the Time War. Best mate turned Foe, or at least rival? Could explain the manic way they went from palling around to going at each other's throats.

Probably best to get off the ship and soon. Return to the TARDIS, drop Rose off with her friend, and then maybe she and the Doctor could watch a film. No comedies this time, something a touch more romantic. She could think of a couple Hugh Jackman movies that had just enough cheesy comedy to make him laugh while masking how mood setting it would be. Maybe tonight will be the night he'll kiss her, what with no chance of Rose walking in, seeing as how she should be visiting someone.

How was it going up there with Rose and her long lost friend? She reached over and pressed that big red button. "How's it going up there?" She asked.

"S fine," That gruff, northern sounding voice came through. "How did _you_ get on there?"

She snarled at the com speaker. Honestly, what was Rose seeing that she didn't? But then again, she got strong hints from Rose that she was never one for the nice kind of guy. Nine's rudeness must be utterly irresistible. If she ever got the chance, Martha was going to sit Rose down and have a nice, long chat with her about self respect. Friend to friend.

"The Doctor opened the link for me." She replied politely, more to make a point than anything. "We've administered the anti-virus and are just going to monitor the Cuplas for the next fifteen to twenty minutes to make sure it takes. He's gone down to the green house to see if there is anyway way he can give it a little extra time before it gives out ant the plants start dying."

"We're almost done here." Nine said, a little more politely this time, making Martha smile smugly. "Go faster if we didn't need to give or be given constant updates." And the smile fell.

She just had to hold out a little while longer, then they'd be off, and she'll never have to deal with this man again. "Rose, how long do you think you'll need?" She addressed the person she actually liked.

"Dunno, not long like he said." She replied. "Shout back at ya when we're ready, yeah?"

The communication was cut off before she could say anything more.

Staring at it with her mouth hanging open, she knew it was not Rose that cut her off. Time Lords. Sure the Doctor could be rude, but this one took the cake. Were they all like that?

Maybe she should go find the Doctor. Had to have been twenty minutes by now, and the Cuplas were all stable. She headed for the lift, stepped in, and rocketed up to the top. Stepping out in front of the two TARDISes she moved for the elevator when she heard … something.

She headed to the end where she and the Doctor had been, where Rose and Nine were now, and instantly wished she hadn't been curious.

The two were tangled in each other like two hormone riddled teenagers. And just as she was thankful she hadn't seen too much, Nine started leaning Rose back on the control panel.

Blushing to the point of nearly breaking into a sweat, she dashed back to the lifts just as the Doctor stepped off. He turned to her with a surprised smile that quickly vanished as she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the lift to the infirmary. When the doors closed and they shot down, she took deep breaths.

"Martha?" He said as she stepped out into the infirmary, and she covered her mouth to keep from laughing from embarrassment. "Martha, you alright?"

That made her lose control, and she laughed louder. "I'm sorry, sorry. Just, I went to go see if you needed help, and I thought I heard something from the control room and I …," She laughed, half bent over because how was she ever going to look Rose in the eye? She couldn't look her sister in the eye for a week when she caught her making out with a boyfriend, and it wasn't nearly as intense as what she saw upstairs.

"You?" The Doctor said, amused.

"I caught Rose and Nine snogging each other's brains out." She managed to get out before laughing.

The Doctor was smiling, but he shook his head. "No you didn't." He said evenly.

"Oh believe me, I saw it. She's going to have bruises from the buttons on the console." Martha said, sobering a little from his certainty.

He shook his head, leaning on the desk where the monitors rested. "Martha, trust me, if Rose and him were snogging I would-." And then his eyes went wide and his hand slid off the side of the desk. Collapsing ungracefully to the ground, he looked stunned but not from falling. He sat on the floor, eyes bulging out of his head and staring a something across the room.

Martha looked back and forth between him and he far wall, trying in various ways to see what he was seeing, only finding Cuplas in their beds, spots fading, and nothing else.

"Doctor?" She said.

"Huh?" He asked, half dazed, looking at her like he didn't know where she came from.

"You okay?" She asked, kneeling down beside him. "Did you hit your head when you slipped?"

"I'm gonna hit something, but it won't be my head." He mumbled as he got up. "Likely the jaw, or the nose. Target that big should be easy to hit." He grumbled as he brushed at his suit and straightened his tie. He added something else, but it was in a lovely sounding language that didn't translate. Huffing, he looked at her, manic grin in place. "Well, I sense that perhaps the ship is entirely repaired." He said, glancing around the room. "Cuplas will be alright, so let's head up and get this ship to its destination, shall we?"

* * *

 

"We can not thank you enough," A pair of Cuplas said to the Doctors, perfectly in sync as they reached out to shake the hand of the Time Lord across from them.

"Just make sure that those in the infirmary have been clear of the welts for three days before you let them out." Pin-stripped clad one said as he smiled wide at the identical aliens in front of them.

"Plants are being unloaded and transported as we speak," Big ears and Leather said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"We won't keep you." The Cuplas said. "We understand the danger you both being her has presented. We hope we will have your forgiveness."

Neither Doctor said anything, simply smiling and nodding as the Cuplas turned away, walking down the ramp of the ship and stepping out into the humid air.

"Alright, back to the TARDIS the two of ya," Pin stripped Doctor said, gesturing behind him with his head. "We're the one on the left."

As they started to head back to the TARDISes, all four of them, Rose stopped and looked at her leather wearing Doctor.

After the two Doctors got into position to pilot the ship, and finally stopped yelling at one another as they fell in sync, Rose hadn't really spoken to either. The ship landed on Ejima, and the Cuplas flocked to unload their precious cargo and learn of what happened to the crew. There had been no time before, and now time had run out.

She caught her pin stripped Doctor's hand which prompted him to whirl instantly, hope in his eyes. "Give us a mo'." She asked him quietly, and he glanced at his previous self before nodding once.

"Come on, Martha." He said, escorting Martha inside with a hand on her lower back.

The TARDIS door was barely closed before Rose was sprinted to her first Doctor and threw her arms around his neck. "Never got to say goodbye to you, not properly." She said into his neck as he held her back.

"Your goodbye is my second Hello it'd seem." He noted. "And once I get inside my TARDIS I plan on making my third, though I won't know that's what it is."

She breathed him in, smiling and humming happily that he smelled exactly the same as always, only he had leather to the mix with this body. "By the way," She whispered. "Did I mention it also travels through time."

"What?" He asked, and she could feel the smile against her cheek.

She leaned back so she could study his face one last time. "That's what you said to me when you came back. Those words."

"I'll remember that," He said and they chuckled together.

But the humor didn't last. Stroking his cheek, she leaned in and gave him a chaste kiss. "Goodbye, Doctor." She said with a sad smile.

"I'll see you in a few minutes." He replied, smiling that goofy grin for her one last time. She stepped out of his arms, walking backwards a few steps before turning to the TARDIS. "Oh, and Rose," he called, causing her to stop with her hand on the door. "Tell him I wanna have a quick chat with him." He said as he crossed his arms, and the Oncoming storm crossed his eyes.

She nodded and stepped inside, finding Martha and the Doctor waiting for her by the console. "He wants a word." She said, throwing her thumb over her shoulder.

The Doctor narrowed his gaze before he sighed, nodding. It's funny, really, because it's likely he already knows what he's going to say, but still went to hear it regardless.

When the door closed behind him, Rose huffed, walking to the jumpseat like her feet were made of lead. She threw herself down on the cushion, reaching a hand behind her head and stroking the TARDIS rail. She hummed reassuringly, sent her waves of comfort, essentially telling her to "buck up".

"So that's it then," Martha said, and Rose looked up at her. "You're leaving him behind?"

"Told ya, time lines." Rose said as she leaned her head back. "He's got to go get me so I can start this journey through time and space."

Martha nodded. "And your friend?" She asked, curious and prodding without trying to seem like it.

"I dunno." Rose said, though sometime during the day she had made up her mind as to what she was going to do. Her eyes fell to the floor by the jumpseat, noting the TARDIS moved her bag. She said nothing, not to the ship or to Martha.

"Well, umm," Martha cleared her throat. "When the Doctor comes in could you, ah, tell him I'm waiting in the media room for him?" She asked, and Rose nodded. Martha smiled. "Have fun with your friend." She said as if Rose confirmed that that was what she planned on doing, then disappeared down the corridor.

Once she was gone, Rose stood up and moved to the coordinate panel. The TARDIS started to screech in protest but stopped, and after an arch brow thrown up at the ceiling Rose put in the coordinates she wanted.

The Doctor came back inside, hands in his pockets and head down, startled enough to look up when she threw the switch and the old girl made her tell tale grinding sound before shuddering with a thud.

The Doctor met Rose's eyes across the room, remaining there as she strode with her head held high toward the doors. He didn't try to stop her when she walked by, though she felt his eyes on her the whole time.

As she opened the doors, she looked at him over her shoulder, "Coming?" She asked, causing his sad eyes cloud with confusion.

Rose walked out into the cold, brisk air. Not so cold that she was instantly freezing, of course. Woman Wept had always felt more like late fall than dead of winter despite the frozen waves and the ankle deep snow. Her sigh of relief danced frantically about in the air before her as she heard the TARDIS door close and the crunch of the Doctor's feet in snow coming toward her.

"I think you missed your mark," He said with a bitter tone. "Doesn't much look like the Game Station to me."

She ignored the dig, holding tight to the revelation she had earlier. "We don't talk," She said, "Not properly, not like we should, not about the important things." She turned her head toward him. "I never told you back then that those boys never meant anything to me. Ever. Not once. But you didn't talk, or at least not much in the beginning and sometimes I'd wished I had someone who understood. I never saw it as hurting you, because I didn't think it would. I was a 'stupid ape' so often that I swore that's how you saw me."

"That's never how I saw you," He said with a light shake of his head. While Rose spoke his face softened, the hard lines of anger easing as he listened intently. And now as he spoke she could see hope and affection were coming through. "From the moment I took your hand something in me knew you were different."

"You don't show it." She said, taking a step toward him.

"It's the truth." He said with a gentle kind of conviction as he turned toward her. He took her hands, hesitant at first, then placed them over his hearts exactly how she had place her hands on his former body hours before. "In over nine hundred years I have never, not once, given either of these to anyone. Ever. Then a pink and yellow human decided to get herself in a spot of trouble in a shop basement, and from the moment we met she took them both." Heat colored Rose's cheeks and she bowed her head, peering at him through a curtain of hair. He took one hand off hers and brushed the fallen strands back. "You're right, I don't show it. Not as I should." He tightened his grip on her hand, his cool skin unchanged by the climate. "I didn't think there was anything I could say to myself that I didn't already know." He said quietly even though they were the only ones around. "And I was right, because he told me I shouldn't let you go and I already knew I would do anything to make sure you stayed. But what he really wanted was for me to take a good, long look at him."

"Why? She asked, barely above a whisper.

"Because that was me before you, or at least only after the briefest taste of you. Broken, alone. He wanted me to have a reminder what I would be like if you left."

"You'd have Martha." She reminded him.

"I don't need her," He shook his head.

"No?"

"No," he said with absolute certainty. "I still won't apologize for bringing her on board, but I will say that I am sorry I didn't think of how it would have made you feel. And the TARDIS, oh," he dragged out the word, "Believe you me, the TARDIS made sure I understood over the last few weeks that your word is as much law as mine when it comes to her, maybe more." He said with a worried quiver that made Rose laugh. "Seriously, why must you girls gang up on me like that? I'm the Time Lord, I'm the one who can see all of time, and …"

Rose shift her hands to grab his lapels and pulled him to her just like she had an hour and a year ago. And just like he had back then it only took a moment for him to snake his arms around her. Instead of leaning her back into the snow, the Doctor picked her up and twirled her around, causing her to giggle against his lips.

"Forgiven?" He asked as he pulled away, pressing his forehead to hers.

"Forgiven, on one condition." She said, and he leaned away from her, looking puzzled. Rose turned, gazing out at the waves. "This place, this one spot in the Universe, is ours." She said. "I don't want Martha to leave, not if she doesn't want to. And I know when she does we won't be alone all of the centuries we have together, but this place is ours. We don't share it with anyone. It's sacred, it's where we will take a breath if we need one, where we can have just a moment to ourselves without hiding in the TARDIS. I will share the rest of the Universe, and even my Time Lord for the most part, but I need one thing to be only for me and you."

"Done." He said with a confident grin. "And I'm sure the TARDIS somehow already knew this and is making sure Martha can't leave."

"She's waiting for you," Rose said, a bit of coolness coming out in her voice. "Expecting to have your nightly snuggle in front of a movie."

"What?" The Doctor's face scrunched. "Snuggle?"

"Saw you two in the media room," Rose warned. "Her head on your shoulder, barely space between you."

He looked utterly confused. "Did that happen?" He asked, and Rose nodded. He scratched at he back of his neck. "I honestly didn't notice. Spent every night trying to convince the TARDIS to show me where you were, or to maybe let me in to our bedroom. Went to the media room because it seemed polite, and a lot better than yelling at walls."

Rose laughed. At his embarrassment, at her own foolish assumptions, at how everything fell apart and came back together. "So you didn't even know she was there?"

"Well, I knew she was in the room, but I didn't … that's to say that I hadn't realized she was …."

Rose bailed him out by giving him a forceful kiss, intending just to silence him but quickly turning in to something much more heated. With mouths parting, Rose's tongue caressed his, hands sliding up and sifting his hair between her fingers. His cool finger tips caressed her skin at the small of her back before sliding up under her shirt and pulling her flush against him. She was panting by the time they pulled apart.

"We shouldn't," She said firmly. "Not tonight. I don't want the first time to be after a fight."

"Quite right." He agreed, flustered but breathing fine. "But there is nothing to say we can't go back to our room and simply enjoy being in bed together."

"Clothing stays on," She said pointedly. "Hands will not roam in areas that will lead to other things."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Oh that's a challenge I can get behind." He said, the purr to his voice sending a shiver down her spine that she would quickly blame on the cold if need be. He took her hand and pulled her back inside the TARDIS, their home, leaving her parked on the snowy planet. If she wanted to move, she would on her own. They had some making up to do.


	17. 42 pt 1

It was hard to say how long Martha waited in the media room. She went in, chose one of the movies on her list that she thought would set the mood, and made popcorn. Not long after she stepped inside she heard and felt the TARDIS land. Martha smiled, hoping Rose would have a good time with her old friend and anticipated hearing all about it upon her return. If she decided to, that is. About five or ten minutes later she felt the TARDIS take off again. Plopping down on the couch, movie cued up, she adjusted her top to ensure the perfect amount of cleavage could be seen by the tall alien without looking utterly trashy. She did a sniff test, hoping she didn't smell like greenhouse or medicine and pleased to discover she didn't. Shifting, she positioned herself to look as irresistible as possible, ensuring the Time Lord would want to curl into her, and waited.

The movie started on it's own, and she watched. And waited.

How much longer was he going to be? Rose did tell him where she was going to wait for him, right? She didn't forget in her excitement?

"Oh Doctor Jones," His voice came from the doorway, and she whipped her head around to greet him with a smile. It fell when she took him in, and it took every bit of self control Martha had to neither whimper nor drool at the sight in front of her.

His hair was ruffled in a very enticing way that made Martha want to ruffle it more. His jacket and tie were gone, his blue oxford untucked with the top button undone and the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. It was almost like seeing him naked, especially since his pupils were so wide, and he had what she could only describe as a bedroom smile as he gripped the door frame with both hands.

"You have a patient waiting for you in the medbay." He said cheekily, gesturing with his head for her to come along.

She'd have followed him into a volcano if he looked at her like that.

Martha bolted from the couch, moving swiftly toward him, and somewhat surprised to find them going across the hall. She never really remembered to the medbay being that close, and for a brief moment she wondered if maybe that's not really where they were going.

Hands in his pockets, he pushed the door open with his bum and leaned against it to hold it open. Martha stepped in, and was both disappointed and confused when the medbay was exactly where she was led. And that Rose was on the bed.

"I'm assuming since you aren't covered in tiny, itchy spots that you have had the chicken pox before?" He asked Martha with a teasing grin.

"Uh, yeah, when I was six" She said, still trying to make sense of what was going on.

"Good. Because Rose, apparently, hadn't." He said, barely containing a laugh.

"S not funny," Rose said, trying to glare through a laugh while twitching ever so slightly, rubbing her arms against her sides.

The Doctor's face contorted as he tried not to smile, and Martha laughed at how utterly adorable it looked.

"So what you need me for?" Martha asked, bumping the Doctor with her elbow as she crossed her arms and leaned heavily on the side nearest him.

"You're a Doctor, she's sick." He said.

"You're _the_ Doctor." She teased.

"True, but it's been over a month since you've practiced, don't want to get rusty, now, do you?" He asked, and Martha narrowed her gaze at him. His ears turned red. "Not to mention you're also a woman." He added, tugging at his ear. "And strictly speaking, I'm not a medical professional."

"What he's saying," Rose said as she tried very hard not to scratch. "Is he doesn't want to see me naked."

The Doctor's mouth twitched as if he was about to start laughing again, clearing his throat as he rubbed he back of his neck. "Probably best that I don't, yeah." He said, turning away and and rocking on he balls of his feet.

"Alright, so how dangerous are we talking?" Martha asked, realizing it couldn't be too bad if the Doctor was trying not to laugh at the predicament to the point that he had to turn away from the sight of a twitching Rose.

"Shouldn't be too serious," He said, turning back to Martha, humor gone from his face. "But the spots will have to be watched, and that can't be done just by checking arms and legs." He cleared his throat. "So it is, in fact, best that _you_ , Martha, a woman of the human race be the lead physician on this case."

"I hate to interrupt, but I was promised something to calm the itch." Rose said from the bed.

"Ah, yeah," He said, looking at his feet. "TARDIS laid a shot out on the tray there." He said, gesturing over to the beside table.

Martha headed over, picking up the syringe with blue liquid and showing it to the Doctor. He nodded from where he leaned against the door frame, and Martha went about administering it. A few seconds after giving the shot, Rose stopped twitching with a sigh of relief.

"Better?" The Doctor asked.

"Yeah," She said with another sigh.

"The spots shouldn't be anymore than a centimeter in diameter," He went on to explain, coming over to stand beside Martha. "We should be alright, but if they do get bigger we're going to have to go to a medical planet. There's still a couple bags of anti virus, and I know you know how to set up and IV drip." He added to Martha before turning to Rose. "And I'm afraid you're going to have to be in here for a couple days."

"And why can't I stay in bed?" Rose asked.

"You will be. Just in here where …." The Doctor stopped, and he and Rose seemed to have a stare down. "Where Martha can come and go as she pleases." He said in such a way that hinted Martha would not be allowed in Rose's room.

"I take it that wouldn't be possible other wise?" Martha asked, trying not to feel awkward and failing as she couldn't look Rose in the eye. Seriously, she wouldn't be welcome in her fellow companion's room?

"The, uh, TARDIS is big on privacy," Rose said, glancing between Martha and the Doctor. "She tends to hide doors you shouldn't go to."

"Is that why I've never seen you come or go from a bedroom?" Martha asked the Doctor over her shoulder.

"Yes, actually!" He said, over excited. "Though don't need much sleep, me. Tend to take a kip in the library. Where I've been taking a rest for the last few weeks. Anyway, I'm going to leave you to your patient." He said, turning abruptly and heading for the door.

"Meet you in the media room after?" Martha called after him and he stopped, turning on his heal. He glanced at Rose for the briefest of moments before he smiled. "Sure. Meet you there." And then he turned and left.

Martha sighed. "I was worried you forgot to tell him." She said after the Doctor left.

"I didn't, don't worry." Rose said as she pulled off her t-shirt.

"So, I thought I felt us land," Martha said as she helped Rose off the bed so she could get her jeans off. "How long were you with your friend before you realized you had this?" She asked, gesturing to the tiny welts on Rose's stomach.

Rose blushed. "Wasn't all that long, actually."

Martha grinned. "Blushing. So this friend is a guy then?" She asked coyly.

Rose smirked. "The friend I was planning on seeing is a guy, yeah. But … you know what? Never mind." She grinned. "Let's just worry about these stupid things so we can get back to the adventuring, yeah?" She said as she scooted out her jeans, taking off her socks and sitting down on the bed in her bra and knickers. Martha noticed something pop up in the corner of her eye, and she turned toward the table to see a hospital gown appeared.

"Thanks ol' girl." Rose said, patting the walls.

Martha chuckled. "Is she really that sentient?"

"Yeah," Rose said as she picked up the gown, putting it on.

They let the conversation drop as Martha set up the IV, did a check on Rose's vitals and examined her welts.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine," Rose said. "Probably a good thing, yeah?"

"Supposed to be worse in adults, so yeah." Martha said, setting the stethoscope aside and doing a double take at the beside table.

"Oh!" Rose said cheerily, "She brought me my book." She said as she picked up the thick tome of _Jane Eyre_.

"Seriously? You're reading that?" Martha asked, trying not to laugh.

Rose gazed up at her incredulously. "Why wouldn't I be?" She asked.

"I dunno," Martha shrugged nervously. "Just didn't think you'd like it or … I mean. Well you seemed to have some, uh, trouble with Shakespeare's work."

"Big difference between the two, mate." Rose said, and Martha's face went red. The quirks of Rose she knew about tipped her off that she insulted the blonde, and the fact that she thought of her as _the blonde_ made her feel worse.

"Right, sorry. Just surprised me. Anyway, I'm going to, ah, go hang out with the Doctor. Gotta a date to keep." She said as she turned away.

"Right," Rose said in such a way that Martha had to turn to see for sure if she was being mocked. Rose's face was hidden by the open book. "Well have fun then," She added, glancing at Martha over the pages with a twinkle in her eye.

What was that supposed to mean? Martha studied Rose as she left the room, watching her patient become engrossed in the book and not saying anything more on the subject.

The media room was still across the hall, and the second she left the medbay Martha could see the Doctor already on the couch with his legs stretched out across the length as he cradled a bowl of something close to his chest. Was he intending for them to lay together? The possibilities made the giddiness in Martha's chest amp up as she walked in.

"What you got?" She asked as she stood in front of him.

He grinned like a fool, pulling back his legs to clear a spot on the other end of the couch. "Banana crisps." He said around a mouthful.

"Seriously?" She asked with disgust as she plopped down in the empty spot and tucked her legs under and around his.

"Banana's are good," The Doctor replied, plucking a crisp and pointing at her with it. "And apparently the TARDIS loves me again because she hid any and all banana related goodness from me for the last three weeks."

"Why?" Martha asked as she picked up her bowl of popcorn and the remote from the coffee table.

"Oh, she and I had a little disagreement, among other reasons." He replied nonchalantly. "So what are we watching?"

" _Someone Like You_. You know, a bit of a romantic comedy" Martha replied, subtly dropping the hint.

"Oh," The Doctor groaned. "Not that one. Who compares relationships with bovine mating habits? I mean, honestly. It's a terrible comparison, especially for humans. Now, if you want to watch a romantic film you should really …." And he stopped, staring at Martha with his jaw hanging open. Her heart pounded as she tensed, hoping that he would leap across the space, or at very least make the suggestion that was on the tip of his tongue. "You know what? How about a comedy? Love to laugh, me. Oh, maybe we should watch _Back to the Future._ Good time travel theme, and I seem to remember you vaguely forgetting it was a movie. Not to mention I can point out all the inaccuracies of it all. For instance, who would think a DeLorean was a good choice for time travel?"

And as she sunk back into the couch, her heart slowing with disappointment, the TARDIS cued up her Time Lord's choice.

* * *

 

Rose closed her book, sighing with contentment as she set it on the bedside table with a light grin. Instantly the TARDIS swapped out _Jane Eyre_ with _Pride and Prejudice_ , and Rose giggled. "Again?" She asked, and the TARDIS sent her a mental wink. Picking it up, Rose opened it, but her mind instantly started to wander as the itching started up again.

She and the Doctor had been back in their bedroom before it all started, and they certainly weren't taking long to make up for lost time.

"I thought I said clothes were to stay on?" She had said between kisses as he quickly removed his blazer and tie, tossing them aside.

"Can't expect me to go to bed like that," He had replied, sounding breathless despite his respiratory bypass as he popped open his collar's buttons. He had pushed his sleeves up before scooping her up and tossing her down on the bed.

"Ouch," Rose laughed, feeling the odd spot where buttons were pushed into her back from his earlier body.

"That's what you get for allowing me to snog you like that when you knew I wouldn't remember." He said as he crawled over her.

"I knew you would, eventually. Never got to say goodbye to that body properly, anyway." She said as her fingers tugged his oxford out of his pants. It was utterly relieving to feel a patch of his cool skin on a sliver of hers.

"I'm trying not to be jealous of myself." He admitted as she parted her legs slightly to allow them both to be more comfortable as well as be closer.

"I know." She smiled with her tongue in her teeth and a giggle in her chest. He silenced that pretty quickly by resuming their heavy snog. Fingers in his hair, feeling him pressed against her, Rose was in heaven. Blissful, wonderful heaven without it even going farther than his fingers skimming her ribs or running up her thigh.

Slowly she started squirm and wriggle, needing friction in the worst way. And not at all the way she would have assumed she'd want.

"As good as I'm sure I probably am," He said against her lips after the wriggling had gone on for about a minute. "I don't think I'm that good. Rose, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," She breathed, trying to lay still. "Nothing, really." When he didn't resume, she studied his face, pushing her hair from her forehead. He was smirking, snorting, virtually giggling. "What?"

"Rose, have you, ah, ever had chicken pox?"

"Dunno, why?" She asked before another strong wave of itching caused her to spasm, and the Doctor lost it. "What!?" She screamed at him.

"Oh Rose, my adorable _spotted_ Rose." He said, backing off of her. She sat up, catching her reflection in the mirror. Her skin had tiny little red dots all over it.

"Oh god!" She groaned as he laughed, the TARDIS giggling in her mind as well.

"Come on," He said, scooping her up bridal style and carrying them out their bedroom door to the Medbay currently placed across the hall. He sat her down on the bed. "I'm going to get Martha, and while I do I'm sure the TARDIS will prepare something to take the itch away."

"Why do you need to get Martha?" Rose asked as her fingers started to graze her skin.

"Don't scratch." The Doctor said around a laugh. "I need to get Martha because we'll need to watch those spots."

"Okay," She had said, fighting the urge to scratch.

"Which means examining _all_ of you." He said, grinning like a fool. "And I can tell you right now, Rose Tyler, there is no way I can do that clinically."

She grinned, tongue in teeth despite the blush and the desperate need to scratch. "No?" She asked.

He shook his head. "Especially after believing for just a moment that I was actually the one making you squirm like that." He said, ears turning pink as she laughed at him.

"Alright, go get the other doctor on board then." She had said, sending him on his way.

After Martha finished her exam they had both left her be for a while, though Rose wasn't quite sure for how long. She had finished the last half of _Jane Eyre_ since being in the room, but her reading habits over the last few weeks had proven that it meant nothing anymore. She couldn't read as quickly as the Doctor could, but this increased processing power (as he called it) meant she was now devouring books in hours when it used to take her a month or more. On one side, it meant stories she really loved could be reread without sacrificing a lot of time. On the other, she was running out of books that held an interest to her. Opening her favorite of Jane Austen's work for the third time, she dove in.

"How are you feeling?" The Doctor's voice broke her out of Chapter 20, barely an hour after she started it.

"Itchy," She confessed as she closed her book and looked up, watching him come toward her in his blue suit and maroon shirt. It was growing on her, that look, making fierce competition for the good ol' brown one he had worn since his regeneration. As he pulled up a chair beside her, he picked up a syringe that appeared on the bedside table. Pushing the short sleeve of her hospital gown up, he prepare her arm for and then gave her the injection. Kissing the spot after he he set the needle down, he brushed his hand along her forehead.

"Better?" He asked, and she nodded with relief. "You're not even feverish." He noted. "And the TARDIS showed me you've been eating. I know you're miserable with the itching, but you are handling this a lot better than you should be." He said thoughtfully.

"Good," she said, reaching up to claim his hand in hers, removing it from her forehead. "Maybe I won't be sick for long and we can get back to making up." She said cheekily.

He shook his head with a grin before leaning in and kissing her sweetly. "Plenty of time for that." He said against her lips.

"Good." She said, nudging his nose with hers before he pulled back. "Where's Martha?"

"Sleeping. Poor thing drifted off in the media room on our, oh, third movie? I made sure she had a blanket and a pillow before I left."

"Didn't carry her to bed?" Rose asked, genuinely surprised that the Doctor hadn't at least done that. She wouldn't have liked it, of course, but she'd have understood.

"I believe someone told her that the TARDIS helps keep privacy." He reminded her, and the ship hummed in agreement.

"Yeah, did do that, didn't I?" Rose mused, running her fingers over the pages of the book. "Should … should we, I dunno, tell her?"

"Tell her what?" He asked, running his thumb along the knuckles of the hand he held.

"Where you sleep." She replied, watching him carefully as he focused on their hands.

He exhaled slowly. "I dunno." He replied, meeting Rose's eye. "We could, but then comes the questions. Questions that I'm not sure I know the answers to."

"Like?" Rose asked.

"What we are." He said thoughtfully. "Not fond of the term 'boyfriend', seems too impersonal. I mean, Mickey was your boyfriend and look where that ended up. But you aren't my mate, my bond mate to be more specific. Gallifreyan thing, that. Sorta the equivalent of a wife in human terms. You're my primary companion, my best mate, my … well, you're my home. You're the one who anchors me, who has my hearts." He said, eyes going out of focus. He said something in Gallifreyan, something long and beautiful that made Rose's soul sing and a smile break out over her face as tears poured from her eyes. He glanced over, seeing her reaction and smiled. "Good to know that's your reaction to those words." He said.

"What did you say?" She asked.

"Oh, can't tell you that," he said with a wink as his grin stretched. "But I think you got the meaning behind them." He said as he swiped a tear away from her cheek.

"Yeah, think I did." She said.

He hummed happily, looking at the monitor over her bed. "I know you're worried Martha is getting the wrong impression, but I don't think it matters."

"Why not?" Rose asked, tugging on his hand to get him to look at her.

"Because she's got to realize eventually that you are my partner. Ooh, partner, I like that. Sounds better than any other term in English. Anyway, she's got to realize eventually that, and this is me saying that you are right which I don't think you are, really. But if she does fancy me she's bound to realize it doesn't run both ways."

Rose smiled, nodding once, accepting his reasoning. A part of her still wanted her territory to be marked, a feral inkling in the back of her mind that wanted what was hers to be known as such, but she let it go.

Scooting over in the hospital bed, which suddenly seemed a little wider, she patted the empty space.

Half a second later the Doctor was curled up next to her.

"Read to me?" She asked. "I love it when you do, and it may help me rest a bit."

"Happy to," He said, picking up the book and opening to the marked spot where Rose left off. He cleared his throat, and then began to read aloud as he dropped an arm around Rose's shoulders and played with the ends of her hair.

* * *

 

It only took three days for the virus to leave Rose's system, and in all that time she hadn't once broken a fever as both the Doctor and Martha expected her to. It was like the pox were nothing more than an annoying bunch of bug bits, but three blood panels had proven that they were more than that. Rose could tell how badly the Doctor wanted to do another scan, could see how his eyes darted toward it after he and Martha were positive the virus left her system. He never said a word about it, and it was probably for the better.

She'd just add "better immune system" to the list of things that were changing about her. Probably best that they weren't really talking when her arm was injured, he may have noticed that it was better after two days.

"So where are we off to today?" She asked as she caressed the control panel, trying not to finger the coordinate input as the Doctor fixed a problem with Martha's phone with his sonic.

"Where would you like to go? Cooped up in the TARDIS for three days, Universe is at your fingertips Rose Tyler." He said to her with a grin.

"We could go someone exotic." Martha offered. "With beaches?" She suggested, looking between Rose and the Doctor while bitting her lip.

Rose smiled. "What was the name of that planet you took me to after Donna left?" She asked.

"Solodaris 4," He said absentmindedly as he handed Martha back her phone. "Aim for season diamond 2," He said pointedly as he made some adjustments on the controls he was closest to. "That's mid winter so neither of you will get a burn."

Rose set the coordinates carefully, double and triple checking them before deciding that maybe the Doctor should inspect them. She really didn't want to burn because it was fall.

"Who's…." Martha said suddenly, getting both Rose and the Doctor's attention. "Who's Donna?" She asked, wringing her fingers.

Rose and the Doctor looked at each other.

"She traveled with us. Once. Impromptu kind of deal." He replied for them, coming over to join Rose. He did exactly as she hoped, and sure enough he adjusted one of the dials slightly.

"So … how many others traveled with you?" Martha asked, looking at her feet as she slowly came toward them.

"Uh," The Doctor said, rubbing he back of his neck. "Well since Rose and I have traveled together we've had, umm, four other besides you? And me, well, I've had something like thirty or forty." He cringed, glancing down at Rose.

She smiled reassuringly, patting the arm closest to her, seeing the tension leave him nearly instantly.

He never gave her a number, and one sleepless night after meeting Sarah Jane Rose asked him who else there was. There were so many other women, and while it bothered her at the time she learned to accept it. And after Reinette, without asking, he would some times tell her more about them. How they helped or hindered, why he let them go or why they left, and never once did he talk about them with anything more than a passing fondness for a friend. Except Susan, of course, though he spoke of her little and Rose understood why.

Martha, she could tell, was crashing. Just as she had when meeting Sarah Jane.

"So, she was promised one trip too?" Martha asked, fear in her voice while she stared down the Doctor. "Another one to say thanks?"

"No. I mean, yes, but she said no." The Doctor replied. "Donna had a bit of a run in with aliens that drew her into the TARDIS and we helped her."

Martha nodded, looking down trodden.

"If it's any consolation," Rose said with a bit of reluctance, getting Martha's attention. "He only takes the best."

She smiled weakly, nodding as she headed for the jumpseat and plopped down.

"Martha?" The Doctor said, though he didn't get a rise out of her. "Still want to go to the beach?"

Before Martha could reply, and alarm like the one that summoned them to the Cuplas. "Distress signal." He Doctor mused, going for the monitor, typing in a few things and reading the Gallifreyan that popped up.

"Ooh, I wonder who we'll meet today," Rose teased beside him. "Number five? Or Maybe number eight?" She said, sending a cheeky grin to Martha in hopes to perk her up. Instead, Martha rolled her eyes and scowled, shaking her head and looking away. _What was that about_ , Rose wondered?

"Oh I'm not letting you anywhere _near_ number eight," The Doctor said quietly in such a serious way that she had to laugh.

"Yeah? Why not?" She asked him, her humor returned.

He looked her in the eye. "The reading kick you've been on lately? Honestly, I'm worried you'll want to have some time alone with him for a while." The Doctor said quietly.

"Oh?" Rose arched a brow. In her mind the TARDIS flashed her an image of a gorgeous man with brown curls and blue eyes, dressed nearly exactly how she pictured Mister Darcy or Mister Rochester in her books. "Oh!" Rose exclaimed looking up at the TARDIS ceiling. "Is that why you've been pushing those books on me?" She asked, and the Old Girl sang a happy song in Rose's mind as confirmation. She then looked down at the Doctor who eyed her suspiciously. "Got that outfit kicking around somewhere?"

His ears turned red as he changed the coordinates. "Locking on." He said. "And no, it's not another TARDIS." He said pointedly to Rose who chuckled in her chest.

A moment later they were tossed on to the floor, Martha included, and the ship came to a shuddering land.

"Oi, turbulence." Rose said, rubbing her head.

"Yeah, sorry about that." He said as he got up. "Well, let's go have a look, shall we?" He said to the two women before darting for the doors.

"I'll never tell him this," Martha said conspiratorially to Rose with a bitter undertone. "But there is a _major_ difference between when he lands and you do."

Rose laughed, allowing Martha to loop her arm with hers as they exited the TARDIS.

The heat hit Rose hard in the face, and she was sweating in seconds. "Blimey that's warm." She said, disentangling herself from Martha to peel off her jumper and toss it back inside the TARDIS. She held the door open for Martha to toss her leather jacket inside as well. Adjusting her white camisole, Rose moved to stand closer to the coolest person in the room and instantly wondered how even he could tolerate a blazer and an oxford over a t-shirt. Then his smug voice echoed in her mind, reminding her of his superior biology, and she kept her mouth shut.

"Venting systems." The Doctor said as he examined their surroundings. "Working at full pelt. Trying to cool down, uh, wherever we we are." He turned to the girls. "Well, if you can't stand the heat …." He gestured with his head toward the heavy metal door.

Rose glanced behind her to Martha who shrugged, coming up beside her fellow companion and allowing the Doctor to open the door for them. They all stepped through with a collective sigh as intense heat became uncomfortably high.

"Well that's better." He said with a grin, not a drop of sweat on him while Rose felt sticky with it, and Martha was glistening just as bad.

"Oi! You three!" They heard a man yell at them, and they turned to see two men and a woman running toward them. "Seal that door!" He added, before he and the other bloke stepped around the befuddled trio to shut the door.

"Who are you? What are you doing on my ship?" The woman asked sternly, and maybe a little nervously.

"Are you police?" The man who spoke before asked.

"Why would we be police?" The Doctor asked, looking around at all of them.

"You sent a distress signal," Rose reminded them. "We locked on to it."

"If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?" The Doctor asked, still seeming not to trust the people in front of them.

"It went dead four minutes ago." The woman said, pushing aside her sweat drenched hair.

"So maybe we should stop chatting and get to engineering, Captain?" he man who had yet to speak asked in a mocking tone that earned him a glare from the woman.

" _Secure closure active"_ , a computerized voice echoed around them as the sound of doors closing shut sounded around them. Rose looked around as the woman before them cried out angrily, and another woman came running toward them.

"Who activated secure closure?" The short haired woman grunted bitterly. "I nearly got locked into area 27." She demanded as another door closed. "Who are you three?"

Martha came up to Rose, tugging on her hand, staring out a small porthole in the wall.

"I'm the Doctor. That's my partner, Rose, and our companion Martha." He replied as she and Martha moved to look out the window.

" _Impact projection: forty-two minutes,"_ That computer voice ran out, and a shiver went down Rose's spin.

"Is that what I think it is?" Martha asked her quietly.

"I think so." Rose confessed, and was not surprised to feel Martha's hand grip hers.

"Forty-two minutes until what?" The Doctor asked.

"Come see," Rose said over her shoulder, her voice eerily calm even to her own ears. She looked back out the porthole, feeling the Doctor's hand on her shoulder as he leaned his head between hers and Martha's.

"Forty-two minutes until we crash into the sun," the woman who seemed to be the captain replied.

"How many crew members on board?" The Doctor demanded, the sudden absence of his cool presence felt more strongly in the intense heat.

"Seven, including us." The likely Captain replied.

"We transport cargo," said the older of the two men with them, a gruff middle-aged looking bloke. "Everything's automated. We just keep the ship up and running."

"Call the others, we'll get you out." The Doctor said as he darted back to the door.

"No, don't!" The Captain cried out as the other three crew members rushed to stop him.

As the Doctor gets the door open before the get to him, a gush of steam blasts through the opening. With a cry of pain, he stumbled backward and Rose dove to catch him. Barely keeping upright herself, she managed to right him, holding his hand and seeing the harsh, pink tinge marring his usually pale complexion.

"But my ship's in there!" He protested as the sound of the door closed ended the loud hiss of heat.

"In the vent chamber?" The younger of the two men asked incredulously.

"It's out lifeboat!" The Doctor tried to argue, gently extracting his hand from Rose's grip.

"It's Lava." Middle-aged bloke said coldly.

"The temperature's going mad in there!" The young woman who came up to them earlier remarked as she pushed a mask and sweat off her face. "Up three thousand degrees and still rising."

"Channeling the air," The young man nodded. "The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room's gonna get."

"We're stuck here." Martha grumbled, shooting a dark glare over at the Doctor.

"Hey, 's not his fault." Rose tried to sooth. "Been in worse spots than this."

It seemed that the Martha was not having any of it, crossing her arms and glaring at Rose now before shaking her head and looking away.

"We'll fix the engines. Had a little hands on training with that lately, these lovely girls did. We get things right then steer the ship away from the Sun! Simple!" He threw a thumb over his right shoulder. "Engineering down here, is it?" He asked, getting a nod of confirmation from the crew.

He took off running, and Rose followed while ignoring the annoying countdown and putting a mental feeler out for the TARDIS. The old girl hummed miserably back in her head, and Rose could almost imagine her as a human complaining about an overly warm summer day. She barely contained the amused grin that threatened to break through as they arrived in the engine room.

It didn't take long to wrangle it in when she took in the charred, chaotic mess that looked far worse than anything the Cuplas had tried to do.

"Blimey, do you always leave things in such a mess?" The Doctor noted with a bit of a tease.

"What the hell happened?" Middle-aged bloke said as the captain gasped and looked around.

The crew circled the various pieces that were likely the engine before someone got their hands and a blow torch on it. The younger one nudged hotter pieces with his toes.

"It's wrecked." He stated the obvious with disbelief.

"And pretty efficiently too. Someone knew what they were doing." The Doctor commented, and Rose watched as the crew exchanged worried glances.

"This couldn't have been done by the ship over heating, could it?" Rose asked the Captain, adjusting her camisole in hopes to relieve some of the sticky feeling.

"Not this badly, I'm afraid." She said in a whisper, suspicion in her eyes mixed with a bit of fear.

"You mean someone did this on purpose?" Martha's voice came from behind, and Rose turned to see she was hugging herself as she looked wide-eyed to the captain.

"Where's Korwin?" The Captain asked as she turned away from the girls, glancing around the room. "Has anyone heard from him or Ashton." The crew shook their heads, and the captain darted over to an intercom on the opposite wall. "Korwin? Ashton? Where are you?" She looked around the room nervously, not meeting anyone's eye as no response came. "Korwin, can you answer me?" She asked, a bit of a nag to her voice. Sill no response, and suddenly she looked more like a put-off spouse than a captain.

"Oh, we're in the Torajii system!" The Doctor said cheerfully, and Rose turned to see he was reading off a screen at a computer terminal, specs in place as he beamed over toward Rose and Martha. "Lovely! You two are a long way from home. Half a Universe away"

"Technically I'm only a few corridors away from home, but I get what you're sayin'." Rose said with a wink, getting him to grin a little wider before it fell swiftly.

Rose glanced to Martha who glared back at them. Someone, it would seem, was not having the best of days.

"Sorry." Rose mouthed, and Martha sort of shrugged and nodded.

"Says here you're still using energy scoops for fusion." The Doctor said, gesturing to the computer. "Hasn't that been outlawed yet?" He asked, and Rose could tell by the look in his eyes it was a test. He already knew, and he wanted to know what the crew would say.

She watched them look at each other, guilty.

"We're due to upgrade next docking." The captain replied before turning sharply to Middle-aged bloke. "Scannell, engine report."

Scannell moved to the computer, stepping between it and the Doctor. He typed quickly with a practiced hand, and Rose gravitated next to the Doctor in an attempt to read the screen. As she tried to make sense of the techno-babble that came up, his hand slipped into hers, rubbing her thumb.

It was odd that she should suddenly remember the impossible planet. The two situations couldn't be more different, even if they did lose the TARDIS for a period of time, and it did seem as though they would be stuck there forever. But this problem had a solve-by date. It wasn't impossible, merely daunting and terrifying.

"No response," Scannell finally said, moving to the giant mass of what was probably toasted engine.

"What?" The Captain asked, barely containing her panic.

"They're burnt out," Scannell explained as she showed her some still attached though heavily charred wiring. "The controls are wrecked, I can't get them back online."

The Doctor removed his glasses, pointing at Scannell with them. "Oh come on! Auxiliary engines! Every craft's got them!"

The Captain shook her head. "We don't have access from here, the controls are at the front of the ship." She explained.

"With twenty-nine password sealed doors between us and them. Never get there in time," Scannell said with gruff defeat.

"Can't you override the doors?" Martha asked as if that should be the obvious solution.

"No, sealed closure means what it says," Scannell partially snapped back. "They're all dead-lock sealed."

The Doctor groaned. "So a sonic screwdriver's no use." He grumbled.

"Nothing's any use!" Scannell snorted. "We've got no engines, no time, and no chance."

"Well you're just a big bowl of sunshine, aren't you?" Rose snapped back only to earn a dark glare from the crew. "Right, sorry, poor choice of words." She said sheepishly.

"She has a point, though. You're all acting defeated before you've even started." The Doctor tried to back her up, but if she was honest with herself she felt pretty horrible about her choice of words. "Who's got the door passwords?" He asked the Captain.

"They're randomly generated." The young man said. "Reckon I know most of 'em." He said with a shrug. "I'm Riley Vashti, by the way." He said as an after thought, offering his hand to the Doctor.

"Riley Vashti," he said as he accepted the young man's polite gesture. "Excellent. What are you waiting for, then?"

"Well, it's a two person job." Riley explained as he moved to the side of the room. He picked up what looked like a backpack and a huge magna clamp, the sight of the latter sending a shudder through Rose violently enough to dislodge her hand from the Doctor's. "One takes to answer the questions, and the other to carry this." He said as he gestured with the pack. "Oldest and cheapest security system around, eh Captain?" He said as if it were a bit of a dig.

"Reliable and simple, just like you, Riley." She replied.

"Try to be helpful, get abuse." He grumbled, shaking his head.

"I'll help you," Martha offered, taking up the backpack from Riley's hand and putting it on her back. "Make myself useful." She added as she turned to follow Riley down the corridor.

"Oi," The Doctor called, and she stopped for a moment. "Be careful." He said, and Martha smiled for the first time since stepping on the ship.

"You too," She said, looking to Rose. "Both of you."

Rose nodded, smiling back before Martha left their sight.

"McDonnell?" An unfamiliar voice cracked over the intercom. "It's Ashton!"

The Captain moved to the intercom. "Where are you? Is Korwin with you?" She asked, waiting on baited breath for the reply that came quickly.

"Get up to the med-center now." The voice replied seriously, and Rose turned to the Doctor.

"Suddenly I wish Martha stayed and I went." She said nervously.

"Stay here, see where you can help. I'll go with McDonnell." He said as he started following the captain.

Rose nodded before turning to Scannell. "Alright, so, engine's fried, yeah? Maybe we can clean away the scorch and salvage some things. Pretty handy with anti-gravs and bio-signature matrixes. Probably don't have the latter on board, but still."

"You can give me a hand with the thrusts over here." He said, showing the first hint of a smile since they stepped on board, and Rose beamed.

" _Impact in 34:31_. _"_ The computer voice rang out.

"Oi, don't have to be so chipper about it." Rose growled at the voice, earning a nervous laugh from Scannell.


	18. 42 pt 2

Scannell worked with Rose in comfortable silence, and never once in the whole time they stripped, sorted, and attempted to mend pieces did he assume she was stupid. Which, much to Rose's surprise, she found she generally wasn't. Not that it was a term she would ever really apply to herself, but when she first started traveling with the Doctor it was one she heard often enough it started to circulate in her mind. Yet here she was, shop girl from the Estate with no A-levels, and she was helping repair the engine of a space ship like it was second nature. Who'd have thought?

The Doctor returned from the med-center, his body tense, his eyes distant, and she could tell whatever was going on down there was not only bad, but suspicious.

"Just get you over an infection only to bring you on to a ship with another one." He mumbled as he came up beside her. "How's the engine coming along?" He asked, running his cool knuckles along her bare arm.

She barely felt the difference between his temperature and hers. "Not sure, honestly. 'S like I can see what needs to be done, but I don't know if we're making progress when I do it." She explained, turning to see the Doctor's eyes darken a bit more. "Don't you dare start worrying about it. Concentrate on them, then we can talk my bizarre new understanding of mechanics."

"Right, sorry. Have you heard from Martha?" He asked as he changed the subject. Rose shook her head. "Right, okay, one thing at a time, I suppose."

He headed for the comm on the fair wall. "Abi, how's Korwin doing?" He asked the unknown person on the other end. "Any results from the bio-scan?"

"He's under heavy sedation," A woman's voice came back. The confusion in her voice did a good job at masking the hint of fear Rose caught. Then again, hurdling toward the sun with a little under a half hour left before impact would make people unsettled. "I'm just trying to makes sense of this data," The woman added. "Give me a couple minutes and I'll let you know."

The Doctor sighed slightly, pinching the bridge of his nose a quick moment before hitting the intercom again. "Martha? Riley? How're you doing?" He asked as he reached in his pocket and put on his specs.

"Area twenty-nine, at the door to twenty-eight." Martha's voice came through.

"You've gotta move faster!" The Doctor snapped, causing Rose to straighten up and really take him in. She hadn't seen him this tense since Canary Wharf, if she were to be honest.

"We're doing our best," Martha snapped back as Rose drifted toward him.

She hugged his side, and he held her tightly against him for a moment. What ever was going on was beyond bad.

"Find the next number in the sequence: 313, 331, 367. What?" Riley's voice filtered through, distracted sounding.

"You said the crew knew all the answers!" Martha's voice came through as a nervous mumble.

"The crew's changed since we set the questions." Riley countered.

"379," Rose said suddenly, surprising even herself.

"What?" Martha asked, a laugh on her voice.

"379, that's the next number in the sequence." Rose replied, glancing up at the Doctor to see if she was right only to see him gaping at her like she was impossible.

"Are you sure?" Martha asked as if she was positive Rose was not. "We only get one chance."

Rose went to reply but stuttered. How did she know that? Her brain just spit back the answer without her really needing to ponder it. Maths was never her strong suit, and there was nothing blatantly obvious to he pattern.

"It's a happy prime," The Doctor snapped back to the moment, talking a mile a minute. "Any number which reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number. A happy prime is a number which is both happy and prime. 379 is right, type it." He then turned to Rose with that gaping expression again. "How did you know the answer? I've seen you have trouble counting out four sugar cubes before your first cuppa tea."

"I don't know." Rose admitted. "It's like with the engine parts, I just seem to know."

"Higher processing power." The Doctor said, eyes darting over her head as if he could see her brain. "Calculating possibilities in the background of your mind. All you had to do was hear the numbers and it's like your brain automatically started to figure it out without you being consciously aware of it."

"Like a Time Lord brain?" Rose asked, scared to know the answer.

"No, don't be daft," the Doctor suddenly said, turning away dismissively. "I said the processing power went up, not the hard drive. Still a _human_ brain."

"Thanks," She grumbled though it was still a relief.

"Martha, are you through?" He asked through the intercom.

"Yeah," Martha's voice came back.

"Keep moving, fast as you can. And be careful," He added quietly. "There may be something else on board this ship."

"Any time you want to unnerve me." Martha bit back.

"Will do, thanks," The Doctor said as he moved to Scannell, and Rose followed. The man she had been working with looks up and watched the Doctor apprehensively as McDonnell joins them. "So, how's it looking?"

"Terrible," Scannell replied honestly. "It's a bloody mess, and even with Rose it would take far longer than the half hour we have to get this ship up and running. Or even just running for that matter."

"The parts are terribly damaged." Rose agreed. "'S almost like someone took a blow torch or something to them."

"Doctor?" Martha's voice filled the room from the intercom.

"Yeah?" The Doctor said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Who had the most number ones, Elvis or the Beatles? That's pre-download."

"Elvis." He and Rose said in sync, and the two shared a secret grin that Rose punctuated with her tongue between her teeth.

"Okay," Martha's voice said slowly. "Got it, thank you."

"Now, where was I?" The Doctor said, going into his mind. "Here comes the sun. No, sorry, resources. Power's still working which means the generator's working. If we can harness that …."

"Use the generator to jump-start the ship." McDonnell finished his sentence, eyes wide with realization.

"Exactly! At the very least, it'll buy us some more time." He reasoned.

"That's brilliant." McDonnell said, seeming to still be coming to terms with the idea of a stranger coming up with an obvious solution.

"I know," The Doctor said, chest slightly inflated as his chin tilted up. "See? Tiny glimmer of hope." He said.

"If it works," Scannell reminded him, glancing to Rose as if there was some sort of inside joke they shared regarding the Doctor. Maybe he could just tell that this was a common thing with him, and Rose often just rolled her eyes.

"Oh believe me," McDonnell said in a threatening manner, breaking the humorous and slightly better mood in everyone. "You're gonna make it work."

Scannell nodded once and walked off just as the computer reminded them of the fading time.

" _Impact in 28:50."_

"Oh I wish the bloody thing would shut up," Rose growled.

As the Doctor opened his mouth to respond, the intercom crackled. "Doctor, these readings are starting to scare me." The woman's voice from earlier came through.

"What do you mean?" He asked firmly.

"Well, Korwin's body's changing." She replied hesitantly, causing everyone in the room to remain still. "His whole biological make-up. It's impossible." She stuttered, was interrupted by something banging on her end. "This is med-center." She said, the tremor in her voice growing. "Urgent assistance requested. Urgent assistance."

The Doctor looked to Rose reflecting back the same disbelief she was feeling. "All of you, stay here! Keep working" He commanded before turning and running from the room. As the younger girl, Erina, darted for the intercom to comfort her fellow crew member, McDonnell ran after the Doctor.

"I'm going, too." Scannell said. "Ashton, get Rose to help with the flight stabilizer. She's surprisingly good. Erina, we need to replace the thrusters and the ignition box, go get them." And with those commands, Scannell ran after them.

"You heard him," Ashton said to Erina.

"Why me? Why not send her?" She asked bitterly.

"Because you know where the parts are. Now go." Ashton said, pointing to where she should be heading, shaking his head after she left. "Honestly." He grumbled before getting back to work.

Rose did the same, kneeling beside him and assisting him with the stabilizer to the best of her memory.

"Burn with me!" A voice echoed loudly over the intercom, causing Rose to startle and Ashton to drop the tool in his hand. The clatter covered the words of the woman in the medbay, but not the absolute terror in her voice.

"Burn. With. Me!" The deep, sinister voice repeated.

It was followed by an ear shattering scream that splintered the sound coming from the intercom. It crackled and fizzed until suddenly there was nothing. The engine room was dead silent.

" _Impact in 27:06,_ " The computer reminded, but neither Rose nor Ashton moved.

It felt like minutes passed before Rose could finally blink, looking down at the wires in her hand. They suddenly held interest, far more than they had before, willing her mind to focus on anything other than the memory of that scream.

"Everybody listen to me." The Captain's voice came over the intercom, and Rose looked up in worry that it wasn't the Doctor. "Something has infected Korwin. We think," She paused as if to take a breath. "He killed Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him, is that clear?"

Ashton got up and moved swiftly to the intercom. "Understood, Captain." He said, taking a moment to collect himself. "Erina?" He said after hitting the button again. "Get back here with that equipment. Erina?" He punched the screen above the intercom. "Stupid girl!" He hissed out, coming back over to Rose and taking a breath. "Head strong, that one. Doesn't understand that we don't tell her what to do because we feel like it. She has a job, she's got to do it."

Rose smiled sympathetically, waiting for Ashton's shoulders to slow their rapid rise and fall and his face to not be in such hard grimace.

"Stabilizer is ready to be reinstalled." Rose said, and Ashton nodded. He got on a mechanic creeper and slid under the engine, feeling around the floor for a tool as Rose handed him the stabilizer. "I'm going to see what parts can be salvaged from the pile we started earlier." She said, hearing a grunt of acknowledgment before she went around the corner.

There wasn't much that could work, she knew that without really having to look them over, but she just wanted a moment to breath. Someone died, and it didn't sound like an easy way to go.

There were a couple loud bangs coming from where Erina had disappeared to, and the attitude the girl had cleared Rose's mind in an instant, making her roll her eyes instead. She was like that once, her first job before she met Jimmy when she was only in it for the money to buy make-up and hair dye. She had just as much contempt for the summer gig in an ice cream shop, and seeing it in someone who was clearly much older than sixteen was aggravating.

"You got those parts, Erina?" She heard Ashton say before he startled. "Korwin," He said a little too loudly, and the name registered with Rose instantly. "It's me, we're mates."

"They are getting too far, we must share the light!" The deep voice from the intercom growled loudly in the engine room, and Rose tried to tuck her self as far into the corner and against the wall as she could. A beat later, Ashton started to scream in agony.

When the screaming finally stopped, Rose slowly rose to her feet, quietly stepping to peek around the corner. Ashton was putting on a helmet, walking away. The other man, the one Rose assumed to be Korwin, moved to the computer and started typing something. She watched, waited, shifting back slightly as he turned his gaze to the engine and opened his visor. A hot, white light shot at the engines like lasers, causing it to burn instantly.

She let out an involuntary gasp and moved back around the corner before he could have whipped his head around. She waited, trying to steady her breathing and her heart rate as she heard the heavy steps of his coming closer. She closed her eyes, waiting, hoping that as they came to a stop they would resume once more heading in the opposite direction.

She felt the heat near her arm from the metal of a support beam before those foot steps mercifully moved away. Letting out a breath of relief, she opened her eyes to see the support beam had been heated to the point of melting. Glancing up, she saw the heavy beam above her head buckle. She had a feeling that the little loft above wasn't holding pillows ate the rate it was given way, and she started to scoot out around the beam.

Behind her, she heard both beams give way, the topple of stuff, and felt the sharp, heavy hit of a flying object hit her on the back of the head before she went down and everything went black.

* * *

 

Considering how little she heard the TARDIS in her mind, it was nice to hear it now as she gently eased Rose out of unconsciousness. A light little song, as if maybe just waking her up from slumber, though the absolute splitting headache reminded Rose that she was knocked out cold. As her mind became more aware, the TARDIS grew more silent, though she did manage to get in a slight complaint about the heat with an image of her inside a volcano sent to Rose's mind.

She would have laughed if her head didn't hurt so bleeding much.

"Rose!" She heard the Doctor call, and oh how good was it to hear him. She didn't get why her soul sung and heart swooped at this moment of all times, but it didn't stop her from smiling to herself when his cool hands caressed her skin.

He sighed with relief. "She's alright." He said before gently shaking her.

"My head." She managed to get out.

"What's wrong? Rose, open your eyes for me, please?" He begged, that confidence in her condition waning fast. She did as was asked, meeting his beautiful smile and returning one of her own.

"I think I got hit by something." She said as she slowly managed to sit up. Touching the back of her head, she felt a slight bit of stickiness and a tender little cut. "Yeah, definitely hit by something."

"How're you feeling? Nauseous? Dizzy?"

"M' fine." She said, her head slowly clearing up though the pain at the back persisted. "Really."

"What happened?"

"Dunno. Korwin, I think. I didn't see it." She confessed, unable to look at him. "Sorry."

He grabbed her chin, getting her to look him in the eye. "Never apologize for keeping yourself alive." He said seriously.

"I think Ashton's got what Korwin does." She said, and his eyes lost any sparkle they may have had a second before.

"Doctor," Martha's voice came over the intercom in a panic, the background noise jumbled. "We're stuck in an escape pod off the are 17 airlock. One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've gotta help." She cried out before saying something to Riley.

"Why is this happening?" McDonnell's voice asked, terrified and torn, though the Doctor pulling Rose to her feet gave her no time to find the Captain in the room.

"Stay here, I mean it this time!" The Doctor ordered, pulling Rose along with him. "And jump start those engines."

As they ran through the corridor hand in hand, Rose glanced at the Doctor, the oncoming storm firmly in place.

"I could help 'em," She said gently. "Know I'm not a mechanical genius, but."

"Martha is trapped, and you were almost burned. Don't think I'm letting you outta my sight." He said sharply, cutting Rose off from further arguing.

And truth be told, she was still a little shaken and didn't really want to let him out of her sight either.

Running around the corner, Rose caught the marker for area 17 before being pulled to a hard stop.

Twenty feet away, staring out a small port window, was Ashton. Or what used to be Ashton.

"That's enough," The Doctor caught his attention, and Ashton turned away from the porthole to look right at them. "What do you want? Why this ship? Tell me?"

Ashton stared him down, turning his whole body toward the Doctor and Rose.

Slowly, the Doctor moved just enough to put her behind him, and she watched over her shoulder as Ashton took a step toward them.

"Come on, let's see you." The Doctor taunted. "I wanna know what you really are."

"Doctor," Rose warned as Ashton advanced on us. "If he looks at you …."

"I know, I've seen what happened to Abi. Endothermic vaporisation. But maybe if I can see what it is that's doing it …."

He stopped as Ashton's hand went to his visor, and Rose cringed behind the Doctor while somehow ready to pull him out of the way and take on the heat herself.

_I want you safe, my Doctor._

Why was she remembering that now, of all times?

Ashton stumbled backward as if pushed aside, causing both Rose and the Doctor to stiff in anticipation. Doubling over as if in pain, Ashton clutched his chest, stumbling for a couple seconds. He then stands up rim rod straight, moving swiftly toward them, side stepping them at the last moment and leaving the area.

"I'll go after him," Rose started to say.

"No, Martha." He said as he darted to the airlock. "Tell McDonnell what's happening," He said, pointing to a nearby intercom as he took a look at what Rose guess was controls.

She darted for the intercom. "Captain," She said cautiously. "Ashton's gone all … he's like Korwin and he's headin' your way."

"Korwin's dead, Rose." Scannell replied a couple seconds later.

" _Air lock decompression complete._ " The computer voice said behind her, and suddenly the Doctor was raging against a control panel, cursing in his native tongue before pressing up against the window.

"I'll save you," He shouted, over and over as Rose came up beside him, moving to wrap her arms around him from behind and glimpsing the pod taking Martha away.

"Can you?" She asked, barely a whisper.

He turned in her arms. "Watch me," he said before moving out of her grasp to the intercom. "Scannell! I need a spacesuit in area 17, now!" He yelled, and Rose watched the storm start to rage in full.

"What for?" Scannell asked, and Rose looked out the window, touching the hot glass as if it were possible for Martha to see her.

"Just get down here!" The Doctor raged, pacing impatiently as he stepped away from the intercom.

"Hey," Rose said, stepping away from the airlock and grabbing his arms. He stopped, his glower still present as she looked warmly up at him. "It'll be alright," She reassured.

"I have no idea what's going on here, I don't know what's infecting the crew and killing them, and I have no idea if Martha will survive being in that escape pod. How can you tell me it will be alright?" He growled.

"Because I believe in you." She said, running her hands down his arms and taking his hand just as Scannell came in with an orange space suit.

The Impossible Planet came to mind as he stepped away and took the space suit from Scannell. Why did this have to have so many similarities? Memories of being drugged and heaved on to a rocket against her will, forced to abandon him, being told she was meant to die in battle.

Just before the Doctor put on the helmet she darted to him, grabbing his face and bringing his lips down to hers in the kiss she had wanted to give him back then.

"I want that suit back in one piece, you hear?" She said softly.

"Do my best," He said, putting on the helmet and moving to the airlock. The doors open, and he stepped inside.

" _Decompression initiating. Impact in 12:55."_ The Computer said as the air hissed out of the airlock.

"You two are that close, and you aren't even going to try and talk him out of it?" Scannell asked in disbelief as the two headed for the airlock to watch.

She glanced up to Scannell. "No." She said with a firm shake of his head. "He saves people, 's what he does. And he'd never let her die if he thought there was even the smallest chance he could save her." She added as she wrapped her arms around herself, watching him barely hanging on to the ship. "'S one of the many things I love abut him."

"Stay here with him." Scannell said after a brief pause. "I'm going to grab McDonnell and get the rest of the doors open."

Rose nodded, fiddling with her TARDIS key. Trying to be patient and failing, she went to the intercom system and hit the link to the space suit.

"You can do this." She said to him.

"I don't know how much longer I can last, Rose." The Doctor confessed with strain in his voice.

"You can do it. I believe you can. I know you can. You're the Doctor." She encouraged, and he grunted with effort over the com. He then laughed, both in victory and what sounded like pain, and Rose watched him stumble back inside.

He stumbled around and got on his knees, staring out the airlock, likely watching for Martha. He took off his helmet, and gripped his head, causing panic to flood Rose's system.

Pounding on the door, she tried to get his attention. No helmet meant no intercom communication. "Doctor!" She yelled at the top of her lungs as if it would carry her voice through the thick, metal door. A shadow started to fall over him, and Rose knew that the escape pod was coming back. And something deep in her mind told her that if he didn't move soon he was going to be crushed. "Doctor, move!" She said, slamming her hand on the intercom. "Get out of the way you bloody git!" She screamed, one hand clawing on the door as the other held down the intercom button in hopes she was yelling loud enough he'd hear the echo from his discarded helmet.

And maybe he did, because he started to stumble toward the door that separated them.

" _Impact in 8:57. Air lock recompression complete._ "

She jumped back from the door as it opened, and the Doctor fell forward to the floor with his eyes shut tight in agony.

"Doctor." She asked, moving behind him to help him up, seeing the escape pod connect.

"Rose," His voice was harsh and ragged.

"Doctor!" Martha cried with joy as she stumbled out of the airlock, diving toward him with her arms open.

"Stay away from me!" He growled angrily, a hand extended toward Martha with his fingers flexing. "Both of you, back!" He commanded, and neither Rose nor Martha argued for the moment,

The sound of footsteps running toward them caught Rose's attention, and she turned to see the sweat drenched McDonnell coming around the corner. "What happened?" She asked with authority.

"It's your fault, Captain McDonnell!" The Doctor hissed, his voice returning to a normal tone, but he kept his eyes firmly closed as he turned toward her. "You mined that sun, stripped its surface for cheap fuel. You should have scanned for life!" He continued to rage.

McDonnell looked at those around the room, and she spotted Riley coming from the airlock. "Get down to area 10 and help Scannell with the doors." She commanded, and Riley obeyed. "Doctor," She said as if approaching a wild beast. "I don't understand. What are you talking about.

"The sun is alive," He snapped, flailing a little, and Rose attempted to step toward him again. As if sensing her, he turned toward her, eyes shit painfully tight. "They scooped out its heart, used it for fuel, and now it's screaming."

"Oh my god," Rose grimaced, looking horrified at McDonnell. "You would do that?"

"Of course not, because a sun can't be alive. It just can't. Why are you saying that?" She panicked, yelling more at the Doctor than anyone.

"Because it's living in me." He said, his eyes cracking open just enough for everyone to see that what ever was infecting Korwin and Ashton was now in him.

"What the hell did you do!?" Rose raged, and in a move she wasn't aware she was making she threw McDonnell against a wall and pressed her arm against the woman's throat.

"I-I-I've done what we always did. Fusion scoops are illegal, we'd have been caught if we scanned. But it's a sun, I never would have thought. It's not possible!"

"Apparently it is, and now you're killing him." Rose yelled in her face, a part of her wondering what the hell she was doing, the other finding she didn't have enough strength or skill to properly kill this stupid woman.

"You've got to freeze me, quickly!" The Doctor's pain filled voice calmed her anger enough for her to see he was grabbing on to Martha's arm with his eyes shut in agony.

"What?" Martha asked, looking to Rose.

"Stasis chamber," The Doctor explained, panting. "You gotta keep me below minus two hundred. Freeze it out of me. It'll use me to kill you if you don't. The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it gets." He cried out, twitching and writhing. "Med Center, quickly."

"Rose?" Martha asked as she pulled the Doctor to his feet, and Rose let go of McDonnell to help.

It was all wrong to feel him warm against her skin, and worse that he was hotter than any human's body temperature, but Rose pushed that aside as she and Martha lugged the whimpering, twitching Time Lord to the med center.

Once inside, Rose nodded to Martha and she let go, grabbing the instruction booklet as Rose got the Doctor on to the chamber bed.

"Rose?" He asked, his head searching with his eyes closed. "You're still here, aren't you?"

She grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "Right beside you."

"And Martha?"

"I'm here!" She cried. "You're in the stasis chamber, minus 200 degrees." She repeated.

"Are you insane? That will kill him!" McDonnell tried to argue.

"Not a human, mate." Rose growled at her, and McDonnell backed away.

"Ten seconds," the Doctor panted. "It's all I'll be able to take. No more."

"Alright." Martha said, stepping away from the controls and smoothing back his hair. She glanced at Rose, obviously noting as much as her how warm he was.

"It's burning me," He gurgled, thrashing about for a moment. "I can't control it. I could kill you all!" He said darkly before whimpering. "I'm so scared." He said, gripping Rose's hand tightly.

"Just stay calm," Martha reassured. "You saved me, now I return the favor. Just believe in me." She said as she stepped back to the controls.

"Rose tell her." He said, "Tell her everything. It's bloody killing me, and I think, I think I feel it starting…." He thrashed. "Tell her about the thing. About how I." He groaned in pain, whimpering with it.

"Shush now." Rose said softly by his ear. "We tell her together. As you."

"Ready?" Martha asked before Rose could say more.

"No." He said, but Rose glanced over at their friend and nodded.

At the last moment she let go and stepped back, wishing she didn't have to as the Doctor screamed and seized. She backed up to stand beside Martha, both as pained about this as the other.

"Almost there." Martha murmured, and Rose glanced down to see the temperature inside reading at minus 70.

Then the stasis chamber suddenly stops, and the two girls look at each other before they look at the dead controls.

"No! You can't stop it, not yet!" The Doctor cried out.

"What happened?" Martha asked the Captain as realization came over her.

"Power's been cut in engineering." She said, "Leave it to me to fix."

She took off, and Martha started hitting buttons on the stasis chamber controls as the Doctor started to scream.

Rose moved to grab his hand despite the frost crystals coating his skin, but he twitched away as if he knew what she was about to do.

"Rose, Martha. You've gotta go."

"No way," Martha said.

"Please. I've only got a moment. Go to the front, vent the engines. Sun particles in the fuel? Get rid of them." He instructed.

"Will that work?" Rose asked.

"Our only chance." He choked out. "Give back what they took."

"I'm not leaving you," Martha protested.

"We have to," Rose said firmly, turning away from the Doctor and taking Martha's hand. "I don't wanna leave him either, but if he hurts us he'll never forgive himself." She said, gripping Martha's hand tighter.

Martha looked back at the Doctor. "We'll be back for you." She promised for them both, and the two started running, dropping hands to move faster.

" _Impact in 3:43._ " The computer reminded them of their nearing end.

Death by burning or death by Doctor, neither were an option that Rose was going to choose, and the determined look in Martha's eyes said she wasn't alone. The numbers marking the areas passed them by in a blur, the computer seeming to remind them about every thirty seconds that time was running out. Not to mention how utterly exhausted Rose was starting to feel from dehydration.

"Burn with me!" A deeper version of the Doctor's voice called down the hall.

Martha paused, looking over her shoulder.

"Keep going," Rose snapped.

"But the Doctor." Martha hesitated.

"Just move!" Rose snapped again, her eyes burning as she understood that her Doctor, at least for now, was gone. The pain in the back of her head started to nag at her, but she ignored both the pain and the desire to break down to continue to the front.

"It's not working," Rose heard Riley say in panic as she rounded the corner. "Why's it not working?" He demanded.

"Vent the engines," Rose cried out, getting there attention. "Give the sun back it's heart. Do it!" She said as Martha came up beside her. "It's our only chance."

Scannell look startled, blinking at Rose before a trusting look came over him. He nodded as he sprung into action, and Riley followed him only a beat later. They two started turning dials on a wall, looking at gages.

"Hope you know what you're doing." He said to Rose as he twists the last knob. Rose only nodded before the ship lurched and sent them on their knees. It rocked about more and more, knocking Rose back down each time she tried to get up but it didn't hinder her.

Moving back down the corridor, she stumbled as she was tossed around, eventually finding the Doctor's body laying still on the floor, face up. Another lurch and she was knocked off her feet, landing beside him. Pushing her hair from her face, she looked up to see his brown eyes looking back. He still looked to be in pain, but a smile started to pull on his lips.

" _Impact averted_ ," The computer ran out, and after a second the pair started laughing.

Hysterically, over joyed, relieved, they threw themselves at each other, holding one another sloppily from weakness and exertion, slowly sitting themselves up. The Doctor placed kisses along Rose's cheek, and she did the same along his jaw line.

"My precious girl," he murmured with relief. "Oh my precious girl. You're okay."

"So're you." She panted. "How are you feeling."

"Terrible." He laughed, "But I'm getting there." He said, and the two started to help each other to their feet.

"Doctor!" Martha's voice cried out, and as Rose stepped back their companion threw herself into the Doctor's arms. They shared their own moment of relieved laughter as he returned the fierce hug before reaching out and pulling Rose to them as well.

After a moment, the three of them detangled, heading back to check on the on Riley and Scannell.

* * *

 

Martha was outside saying goodbye to Riley and Scannell as Rose and the Doctor waited for her inside the TARDIS. The ship sang happily in Rose's mind, relieved that they were no longer roasting as well as her.

"So, any damage?" She asked the Doctor, standing beside him at the controls as she sucked on the remaining tidbit of some sort of rehydration cube the old girl provided when they came in.

"No," He said after a deep breath, looking up at her with a weak smile. "Internal body scans says no damage, though I still feel like I'm going to melt into a puddle."

"What can be done?" She asked, running her fingers along the knobs and buttons.

"A very cold bath." He said honestly, looking her dead in the eye. "Get my internal body temperature back to normal and I'll be right as rain."

"And up here?" She asked, tapping her temple.

He smiled weakly. "It's not burning if you were wondering. Mental shields are pretty weak," He smirked. "Best not go near Barcelona or we'd likely have a litter of telepathic puppies on board. Convincing little buggers, those things are. Almost had me buying _you_ one last time."

She smiled at his attempt at humor, getting on her tip toes and kissing the corner of his mouth. "Go." She instructed. "I can get us in the Vortex when Martha comes back. Take care of yourself for once, yeah?" She said, making his forced grin a bit more real.

"Of course." He said, surprising her by leaning in and kissing her full on the lips. It was brief, but it made them both smile before he turned away and headed down the corridor.

The TARDIS hummed a little more happily in Rose's mind for a brief moment as she went about setting the controls to take them into the vortex when Martha was ready.

Admittedly her mind did wander down the hall to where her Time Lord was laying naked in a tub. She remembered what he looked like without clothes, having stripped him of his former body's wardrobe after he regenerated what seemed like ages ago now. Well, of everything but his pants, which she refrained from mostly because she was still coming to terms with what had happened, and if she was to be perfectly frank she hadn't imagined removing those clothes off his body in quite the way she did.

The TARDIS door opening startled Rose, and she glanced up to see the confused Martha not at all noticing the blush that crept up her cheeks. Throwing the switch, the TARDIS grinding filled the room as they left the other ship.

"Where's the Doctor?" Martha asked, looking around.

"He's in one of the bathrooms, cooling down." Rose said, throwing a thumb over her shoulder. "He's fine. Did a scan of himself. Just hasn't lost the fever yet."

Martha nodded, looking disappointed before heading for the jumpseat and plopping down.

"Does it bother you?" She asked quite suddenly, "That he's had so many others on board?"

Rose gapped at her, unsure what to say.

And it didn't matter because Martha wasn't done. "It's like … I thought I was special. I thought maybe he saw something in me that, I dunno, made him want me around."

"I know what it's like." Rose confessed. "I was in the same boat you were, once. Then I met Sarah Jane."

"The woman you told me to look up." Martha's eyes sparked at the recognition.

Rose nodded. "Hated her at first. Got along like cats and mice, we did. But … somewhere in that time we were together we learned that we are special in some way. Companions come and go, all for their own reasons, but we are still special because we are chosen. For a brief time the Doctor takes us and shows us things no one else will see."

"Except you get to stay on forever." Martha noted with some bitterness.

Sighing, Rose sat down beside her. "If you wanted to, you could too." She said as evenly as she thought possible. After all, Martha's forever was so much shorter than her own.

"He wouldn't want that." Martha countered, chuckling without humor.

"He asked you to stay on. Means you call the shots when you leave so long as you don't get a door in your head." Rose nudged her with her shoulder.

"You'll need to tell me about that sometime." Martha grinned.

"Oh definitely." Rose smiled with her tongue between her teeth. They sat quietly for a moment, looking around the room. "Suppose we'll be in the Vortex a bit." Rose thought out load. "Dunno how long it'll take him to feel up to anything."

"Yeah," Martha said, standing up. "I think I'm going to wash up."

"Yeah," Rose said, standing as well and straightening her sticky top.

"If you see the Doctor, let him know he can come see me whenever, or if he feels he wants another doctor to have a look at his scans." Martha tacked on as she and Rose moved down the corridor.

It took Rose aback when Martha stopped at her door as it was directly across from the one to she shared with the Doctor.

"I've never seen that one before." Martha noted, walking around Rose and running her hand along the long line of Gallifreyan symbols. "Is that … is that his room?" She asked, her eyes wide and excited.

"Umm," Rose said. "Yes." She added, not really wanting to lie.

"Have you seen inside?" Martha asked as her fingers fell on the outline of the wolf.

"A few times." Rose replied, feeling oddly defensive over a door.

Martha's hand fell to the handle, and she attempted to push down. It didn't budge. "Guess it's locked." She said bashfully.

"Guess so," Rose said, unsure what else to say to the woman who just tried to enter the Doctor's bedroom. _Her_ bedroom, and all seeming to think she had a right to.

"Well, guess I'll wash up. Might go to the media room after, wanna meet there?" Martha asked.

"Maybe." Rose gave a shrug, watching as Martha stepped into her bedroom, giving Rose a quick wave before sliding in through the door way. The second it clicked shut the door vanished. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Rose asked the ceiling of the ship. The TARDIS hummed a laugh but gave no other indication that perhaps she was dropping Martha a hint.

Rose shook her head, stepping into the bedroom.

"How you feeling?" She called toward the bathroom as she pulled off her camisole, tossing it in a pile beside the laundry hamper that seemed sort of pointless to have as the TARDIS cleaned everything for them anyway.

"Uncomfortable." He called back, and Rose whipped her head around to see the bathroom door was open, and where the walk in shower normally would be was a tub. From where Rose was standing she could see the Doctor's feet and the shins of his long legs.

"Is it because I walked in the room?" She asked teasingly.

"Yes, actually." He replied, making her stop short. She wasn't really heading toward him, or away really, but now she found she couldn't move at all. "It's all terribly domestic." He continued, and Rose's eyebrow arched. "End of a long day, taking a relaxing-ish bath, having you walk in the room like this is all second nature."

She laughed. "Domestic is it?" She asked, heading for the bathroom door and leaning against the frame.

He peered up at her, and she kept her eyes firmly on his. "Oh yes," He said. "See me naked for the first time and you act like it's nothing." He added with some cheek, a manic grin stretching the corners of his mouth up.

"Not the first time I've seen you naked," Rose retorted, watching that smile fade instantly.

"What?" he asked.

"How do you think you got in those jimjams after regenerating, hmm? Mickey wasn't gonna do it, and you can be assured I wasn't lettin' Mum anywhere near you in that state."

He swallowed hard, eyes drifting down and seeming to note for the first time that Rose was topless. "I'm done in here, if you needed it." He said, eyes darting away as he pulled furiously on his red ear.

She laughed as she stepped out of the doorway, allowing him to have a moment of privacy. She gathered a clean t-shirt and a pair of short, fleece shorts to take in to the bathroom with her, and as the Doctor left, she stepped in.

"Domestic," He muttered under his breath, making her giggle.

She wasn't in the shower long, only enough to clean the sweat off quickly. After dressing and combing out her hair, she re-entered the bedroom.

The Doctor was star-fished on the bed, laying on his back, his brown pin-strip trousers on and seemingly nothing else.

He rolled his head toward her, watching Rose as she moved to sit next to him. "I'm still a little warm." He admitted.

"You feelin' alright besides?" Rose asked, running her fingers through his hair, brushing his side burn with her thumb.

An overwhelming sense of pleasure shot through her, making her gasp and startle. The Doctor grabbed her wrist and shot upward, gapping at her with wide eyed fear. "What?" He asked. Rose just stared, unsure what happened or why he was reacting that way. He placed her hand back on his temple gently, and a moment later Rose heard a soft, whispered, " _Hello_?"

Only, she realized that his mouth hadn't moved. It was the Doctor's voice, though light and faded as if he had been sending her a message.

" _Hi"_ , she thought, and the Doctor jumped back, pulling her hand away from his temple. A dizzying wave came over her for a moment, clearing slowly and allowing her to see the smile coming over the Doctor's face. "Do it again," He said out loud, diving toward her, taking her wrists gently and putting her fingers on his temples and closing his eyes.

Rose looked at his soft, almost hopeful expression, smiling to herself. He shuddered with a soft hum, the sound of it sending a bolt down Rose's abdomen and causing her muscles to clench. She tried to ignore what it had done to her, only to feel a wave of desire come over her that didn't feel entirely her own. She squirmed, her knickers become increasingly uncomfortable as they grew damper.

"I'm trying to ignore that," He said out load in a very gravelly voice. "But the fact that you're in my mind is making it very hard for me to control myself."

"How am I doing it?" Rose asked.

"I dunno," He said, shaking his head carefully so he wouldn't dislodge her touch.

"Is this … is this more stuff related to the whole …."

"I dunno." He said again. Letting go of her wrists tentatively as if he was afraid she'd pull away if he did. He then slowly put his finger tips to her temple, and Rose was instantly overwhelmed with … stuff. Amazement, wonder, awe, adoration, something Rose desperately wanted to believe was love.

"It is," He whispered. "That's exactly what that is."

She smiled, closing her eyes, basking in the waves of it he sent to her mind, how it flooded down to her soul and made every nerve in her body sing with joy. She sent it back, all of it, every bit she ever felt for him, and heard his appreciative moan in response.

Suddenly it wasn't just love that flooded her, but lust. Raw and heated, the joy that ran through her body changed quickly to quivering anticipation.

Rose opened her eyes to find the Doctor's reflecting everything he was sending her.

Chests heaving, eyes locked, neither moving an inch, Rose could feel the edge they were teetering on.

They could look into this, take a breath and figure out how this was happening. Or … maybe … they could.

"Yeah," He said aloud. "We could."

"Yeah." She said, glancing down to his parted lips. And then they were on her, crashing against her own as he was suddenly on her. And while his hands trailed down her skin she could still feel him inside her head though not as strong. She shifted her fingers in his hair until he yanked her top over her head and she was forced to remove them. His absence in her mind caught her by surprise.

"We can work on that," he said with a smile.

"Yeah?" She asked as his fingers returned to her torso, running down between her breasts, lingering on her belly button.

He laughed in his throat at the way her muscles tensed. "Oh yes."

And before she could ask how he kissed her deeply, a hand lingering on her temple and showing her how much he loved her, adored her, was thankful she was with him and willing to think into a future he didn't think he could have. Making her feel like she was, indeed, his precious girl.

His other hand, however, darted under her shorts and started to show her that precious didn't mean untouchable.


	19. Human Nature pt 1

"Vortex!" The Doctor yelled, and Rose dashed to the console to get the ship off wherever they were. "Did they see you?" He asked Martha urgently.

"I don't know," She said, confused. "I was too busy running."

"Martha, it's important, did they see your face?" He asked with a thin veil of calm.

"They couldn't have." She said with certainty.

At that the Doctor dashed around to stand by Rose, looking at the monitor. A moment later, a warning chime came from the console, the old girl sent Rose a wave of surprised panic, and the Doctor curse. "They're following us."

"How can they do that? You've got a time machine!" Martha snapped in panic.

"Slow down," Rose yelled. "Who's following us, what's going on?"

"A family that seeks out life forces to extend their own." The Doctor explained quickly. "Theirs is likely on the way out, and they smelled me, a Time Lord."

"With a very long life span." She concurred.

"Yeah. And apparently they've stolen Time Agent technology by the looks of things. We'll never be safe, they'll follow us right across the Universe. Unless…." He trailed off, and when he turned she could see his heart was slowly breaking.

"Unless?" Martha asked.

"I stop being a Time Lord."

John's eyes shot open when his alarm blared obnoxiously by his ear. Groaning, he fumbled around until it was finally silenced. Sighing, he closed his eyes, flopping back on his pillow. That dream again, not one of the more pleasant ones he had on a regular basis, but one that still held some mystery to him. He always seemed to wake up at the same spot, and he really wanted to know what was going to come next.

The alarm blared again, and he growled, getting up this time and actually turning it off. Rubbing his eyes, he swung his legs off his bed, put on his glasses so he wouldn't walk into a wall as he stumbled to the bathroom. In the shower he thought of Rose, both dream Rose and real Rose, though the former provided much more inspiration. Those were his favorite dreams, the ones where he was naked and sweaty with her, though he didn't quite understand why she insisted on calling him 'Doctor' even in those ones. When he was a grand adventurer from another world, yeah, sure, 'Doctor' worked just fine. But in bed? He supposed it didn't matter, just that he had a very good imagination in the way that he could picture her in such a way though he'd only really ever seen her in a Barista uniform.

After his shower, John walked around his bachelor flat naked and looked out at the rising sun through the large glass doors that led out to the balcony almost as big as the interior. It was a sweet deal, this place. Almost a month ago, just as he moved to town take up the position as a high school English teacher, the owner of the flat had to sublet it for a bit. Luck, John thought, had been on his side since deciding to cross the pond.

With a sigh of contentment, he went about getting dressed. He pulled on a fresh pair of pants, hopped around as he put on his favorite pair of gray denim jeans, falling on the bed as the garment made him stumble. Groaning, he launched himself back up, putting on a black t-shirt before the obligatory oxford. Business casual, ugh. He missed the days of being a student sometimes. At least the blue did well to contrast his eyes. Maybe she'd notice? Probably not, though. Doing his hair, making sure it was perfectly coiffed before he checked to see if he needed to shave (nope, not today), John looked at himself in the mirror. Not too bad, he supposed. Could be worse.

He left the bathroom and headed for the front door, grabbing his wallet and canvas messenger bag on the way. Popping on his favorite black trainers, he left for the day.

When he stepped outside he was glad he hadn't worn a jacket. Summer seemed to be lingering into fall, and while it was the last week in September it was still above fifteen degrees in this quiet Canadian city.

John walked the couple blocks down the road toward the high school, his heart starting to hammer as he got closer. At the last moment, just as the two story building came into view, he turned the corner, heading one block over. He stopped on the corner, checking his reflection in the store front window of an office supplies shop, ensuring his hair was still acceptable, and his untucked oxford was straight before he continued into the next shop.

The scent of coffee hit his nose, and he inhaled deeply. Taking a deep breath, he headed to the counter and trying not to glance down the bar to see if she was there.

"Morning, handsome." The petite red head behind the counter greeted him as she pulled a cup from the stack. "Usual?"

"Yep," he said a little too loud, popping the 'p' and instantly feeling like a dweeb for it.

Red head smiled, wrote his name on the cup, and set it aside.

His heart caught in his throat as he glimpsed the gold bracelet on the wrist of the hand that grabbed the cup. He knew that bracelet because he stared at it for the first week he'd been coming here, before he was brave enough to make eye contact.

"Here's your banana muffin," Red said, exchanging the food for his credit card. "See you later, John." She said as she handed back his plastic.

"See ya," He managed to say, but was too busy trying to remain cool as he moved down to wait for his drink for further interaction.

"Morning, John," Her London accent caught his attention, and he could feel his ears turn red as he looked up into her clear hazel eyes. Her smile, with her tongue between her teeth, made him grin like an idiot.

"Morning, Rose," He managed to say without stuttering, an instant win in his books as far as he was concerned.

"And what are you teaching those lovely, bright minds today?" She asked as she went about preparing his drink without looking at what she was doing. Which always amazed him, how those graceful little hands seemed to have a mind of their own while she held his eye and made conversation.

"Starting 'Much ado about nothing' actually." He said, leaning on the counter and almost stumbling as his elbow slipped. He immediately straightened up, adjusting his bag to have something to do with his hands.

"Shakespeare," She said approvingly. "I always found his work hard to follow in school."

"And now?" He asked.

She chuckled, shaking her head. "These days if I want to understand it, I do." She said more to herself, but she met his eye again.

He didn't know what to say to that, then again he didn't know what to say to her in most cases. She was just so … there weren't enough words in the English language.

"Yeah," He said dumbly, his ears turning red when he realized how spaced out he sounded. "So, uh, what are you doing this weekend?" He asked, even though it was Tuesday.

She smiled a little wider, and his heart rate picked up. "Dunno," She said with a casual shrug. "Probably just stay in, read a book. You?" She asked.

"Oh you know … just… the usual. I guess. Nothing … ah … special." He stuttered as she slid him his drink. "Oh, yeah, thank you." He said as he picked up the cup and focused intensely on the lid. "Well, I should probably go to the school. Bright minds and all." He said, still unable to look at her for anything longer than a couple seconds.

"Well, have a good day." She said.

"You too," He said, fleeing the shop before he could make anymore of a fool of himself, nearly running into a wall in his attempt to escape.

He headed quickly to the school, a non-distinct brown brick building which was currently surrounded by 15-18 year olds in various styles of clothing. Public school, one that didn't have rules about who could wear what other than how much skin was shown or the possibility of jewelry being weaponized.

If John was honest, he liked this better than the prospect of a place that made their students dress alike. Personalities showed here, and he didn't have to be so formal himself.

He was greeted by a few students as he weaved his way around the various groups, and he tried to acknowledge them all but simply couldn't before making it inside.

"Oh," Dave Clark got John's attention as he walked through the lobby. "Stupid grin, coffee in hand, barista girl working today?" Dave ribbed him, heading with John upstairs. When John only tried to stop himself from smiling, Dave laughed. "Why don't you just ask her out, already?"

"Almost did," John admitted. "Asked her what she was doing this weekend. Was going to be a big lead up to asking her to dinner, or a movie."

"But ya chocked." Dave said, dropping his arm around John. "Dude, if you don't ask her out soon, then Martha is _never_ going to get the hint that that kiss was only a drunk mistake."

It was a memory John tried repeatedly to block from his memory to no avail. He hadn't been that drunk, though if anyone asked he was pissed. Reality was he was simply lonely. He was still getting to know people in town, trying to figure out where he fit in, and Martha seemed to welcome him warmly right from the start. Like she knew him, though in so many ways he could tell she didn't. But it was raining, they were huddled together under the alcove waiting for a cab, and she looked lovely. Very lovely, with her sweet smile and sparkling eyes that he couldn't stop himself. And she was all too willing to reciprocate, which he was sure was because of the beer but now wondered if that was in any way true. He pressed her against the wall, which already felt off, but when she put her fingers in his hair he drew back. That was definitely off. Pleasant, but not right.

"Pretty sure she's never gonna get the hint anyway." John mumbled to himself as the object of their conversation started to come down the stairs, chatting with one of the other teachers. "Damn," John said, looking to Dave, "I'm taking the east wing." He said, throwing a thumb over his shoulder and darting down the hall before Miss Jane the biology teacher could spot him.

She wasn't a bad girl, really. She was beautiful, smart, funny, and he found it easy enough to carry on a conversation with her. But a couple weeks ago as she, Dave, him, and a few others had been out John had just enough liquid courage to kiss the girl of his dreams, he seemed to decide that Miss Jane (admittedly the other girl _in_ his dreams) was an adequate substitute. Which it was not. Martha, however, immediately took this as some sort of sign, and despite how he tried to sweep it under the rug, she did not.

As he moved down the halls to the east stairway, a bit more out of his way than he'd like, John heard a mild protest, followed by a cruel sounding laugh.

"Give it here, loser."

John peeked around the corner to one of the side corridors and watched a tall, blond student named Dean Baines snatch a notebook out of Tim Latimer's hands. The young man barely put up a fight from where he sat on the floor against some lockers as Dean and one of his sidekicks started flipping through it. "What the fuck is this shit?" He asked, showing it his sidekick as he laughed. "'He drew up his sword and faced down the enemy, the urge to spill blood coming in equal parts with his desire to run.' What kind of shit is this?" He asked, hand poised to rip the pages out of the perfect-bound book.

"Hey," John yelled, moving down the hall at a calm pace though his eyes narrowed down on the jock. "What's going on down here?" He asked as he looked between Dean and Tim, chin tilted up.

"Just having a conversation with my buddy Tim, here, Mister Smith." Dean said in an ass-kissing manner.

"Uh-huh." John said, narrowing his gaze on the jock. "Mind if I have a look at that?" He asked, tilting his head to the journal in Dean's hands, shifting his cup so he held it in the same hand as his muffin.

"Well I'd give it to you, Sir, but it is Timmy boy's here, and I was just having a gander."

"Oh it's Tim's," John said as if he didn't know already. "Brilliant, Tim, might I have a look?" He asked hand extended to Dean for the journal while he looked at the young man on the floor attempting to his behind his long, black hair. Tim nodded once. "Right, give it here, Dean." John instructed, turning his a narrowed gaze back on Dean and waited to see if he would dare put up a fight. Likely remembering that he could be suspended from whatever sports team he was on if he dared to challenge a teacher, Dean handed over the journal. "Right, now, shouldn't you two be off making out with your girlfriends where you think none of us can see you?" He asked, causing Dean and his sidekick to look perfectly embarrassed as Tim snorted from his spot on the floor.

John smiled down at him as the two jocks skulked off, and when the coast was clear, he handed Tim his journal. "Why this time?" He asked.

Tim shrugged. "Just sitting here." He said as his took the journal and ran his hands over it lovingly, the ball point pen still between his fingers from where it likely was before. "Guess they just got bored."

"Yeah, maybe." John said, looking where the boys went though they were long gone. "You let me know if they harass you again, got it?"

Tim snorted. "Look, mister Smith, you're new here." He said as he got to his feet, standing only an inch shorter than John. "Just the regular shit that goes on around here."

"Language." John said with a partial grin, getting Tim to snort. He clapped the young man on the arm. "Come see me anyway." He said before turning and heading back toward the stairs.

As John made it to his class room he had to keep the warning of language in mind as he spotted Martha Jane leaning up against his desk in a purple dress that was just a little too form fitting for a proper teacher. "Hey," She said with a wide smile.

"Hey, Martha," He said nonchalantly as he stepped around his desk, setting down his drink and pastry.

"So my roommate's gotta a thing tonight. Usually she just sorta stays out until she's done for the day so I'll be alone for dinner. Maybe you want to join me? I mean, not at my place, or anything, I meant out. You know, nothing too formal or fancy."

"Oh, you know, I'd love to, but I can't." He said, pulling an award winning act of disappointment. "Already got plans with Dave."

"But Dave does some training down at the gym tonight," Martha said, genuinely confused.

"Yeah, after that. And before, you know, grab a bite he and I. You know, manly bonding. It's … well it's all sorta, just, you know, me. Settling in, sorta." He rambled and stumbled with various winces and grimaces. "Anyway, too busy to do dinner tonight. And, ahh, probably not going to be able to tomorrow. Tests needing to be graded and all that."

She smirked at him adoringly. "Alright, mister." She said as she turned away, "But call me if you change your mind."

"Will do, thanks," He said, knowing full well he wasn't going to. "Oh, Martha," he called after her. She stopped by the door, looking at him over the shoulder. "Seemed to have misplaced my calendar. What's the date today?"

She smiled, "September 27th, 2005." She said. "And your calendar's on your desk under all those papers." She teased before leaving the room.

"Right," he said to himself as he reached in the paper bag and pulled out the muffin. "Explains why I never use it," He muttered before inhaling his breakfast before classes began.

* * *

 

"Harder! Harder, come on!" Dave commanded, and despite being sweat drenched and tired, Rose obeyed. "Faster! Come on, baby, I know you can do better than that!"

And at that, Rose stopped. "Baby?" She panted.

"Sorry, got carried away." Her trainer said as he lowered his punch mitt covered hands. "You're making excellent progress though. Seriously, I'd never had anyone pick up mixed martial so easily. Especially a woman."

"Oi." She said with mock offense, smiling with her tongue between her teeth as Dave laughed. "I was always told I was a fast learner."

"That you are." Dave said with a grin.

He was older than her but probably a decade, tall and heavily muscled, and in an on-again-off-again relationship with someone named Scott. It was why Rose settled on Dave as a trainer despite his limited availability. That, and when she inquired about the sport, feeling like maybe with her accelerated brain and he longing for something more physical it would help her through the next three months, he was the only one in the gym willing to train her. He was going easy on her still, for the most part, but they were both learning that she could take more than it looked like she could.

"Ever consider maybe going into some armature matches?" He asked her as he put the gloves back in place. Rose latched on to his head and kneed him in quick, hard successions in the gloves until she counted twenty in her head and he lowered them.

"Nope," She said, her muscles starting to finally sing with a pleasant amount of fatigue. Glancing at clock on the wall, she noted they'd been at it for an hour. "Sorta just wanna learn the skills." She said with a grin.

He arched a dark blond eyebrow, shaking his head. "Don't wanna run into you in a dark alley," He glanced at the clock as well, or at least she assumed, and pulled off his gloves. "I'm expecting someone in a minute, so we're going to have to call it a night." He said to her, glancing at the door and smiling warmly before waving.

"Oh, is it Scott?" She asked teasingly, turning around and having her heart stop and her smile falter as she looked at the Doctor.

 _John_ , she corrected herself.

"No, I'm not lucky enough to be his type," Scott said just as it seemed John noticed her. "Other than being blonde." He added with a mumble, but Rose pretended she didn't hear him as she waited and hoped that the Doctor, John, would catch her eye.

Which he did a second later.

John paled, eyes widened, and he looked so adorably caught off guard that Rose couldn't help but smile again, giving him a little wave. He gave it back, awkwardly in jerking motions before he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away.

"You know John?" Dave asked as she turned back to face him, pointing at the man in question over her shoulder.

She shrugged one shoulder. "I see him in the coffee shop I work at all the time."

Something in Scott's eyes lit up in recognition, and he looked her over. "Ah," He said, nodding. "So, uh, yeah, why don't you go get changed or what ever and I'll see you here in a few minutes? Talk about when we can meet up again?"

"'Kay," She said, glancing back at John and catching him staring before she went to the locker room.

Rose toweled off and changed quickly, always preferring to shower back at the apartment. And after peeling off her tight gym clothes and replacing them with her jeans and a jumper, she grabbed her bag and headed out.

John and Dave were talking quietly when she came in, the former looking nervous and shifty while the other remained calm with his arms crossed over his chest. John caught her walking in, and in a habit that made Rose's heart ache, he pulled on his earlobe before he turned away.

Dave turned toward her. "So Thursday is probably best for me, work for you?" He asked her, not changing his posture from when he talked to John.

"Yeah, 's fine." She said.

"And, hey, I know you're new in town, and the two of us don't really know each other, but if you're free Friday night maybe you can come down to trivia night McDougall's?" He asked, referring to a local Pub she heard Martha mention a couple of times.

Rose glanced at John, seeing him acting as though the punching bag a few feet away was the most interesting thing in the world and that absolutely nothing could pull his attention away from it.

"Maybe," She said in a non-committal way. "Remind me Thursday." She said, giving one of Dave's arms a little squeeze.

"Sure," Dave said enthusiastically.

Rose turned to leave, pausing after a couple of steps. "You don't look like you're here to train," She said to John, taking in his outfit. The same casual look he had on this morning. She wondered if there was any part of him that knew his shirt was the perfect shade of TARDIS blue, and if that's why he picked it out.

"Wha? No, no." John said with a nervous laugh. "I, ah, umm, work with Dave at the, uh school."

She smiled, "Oh?"

"Yeah," he added, his smile getting a little wider and he stepped a bit closer to her. "Bright minds and all." He shifted nervously. "So, umm, trivia." He said loudly, clearing his throat and flushing. "Trivia, trivia's fun. Umm, I go, too, there. Ah … not that that matters or anything, but, you know, if you go it'll be more than just Dave there that you know. Not saying that you know him, or me for that matter. I'm just the guy who gets coffee." He laughed, looking down at his feet. "And I'm finding I can't stop talking now that there isn't a counter between us." He added as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Rose smiled, her heart pounding and aching, soaring and bleeding, both hating and loving the man in front of her in equal parts because of his awkward babble.

"Well," She said slowly. "If you'll be there, I may just be there too." She said.

And oh how she loved and hated the wide eyed shock that was on his face as he snapped his head up. "Yeah?" He asked, mouth moving around words that weren't forming.

"Yeah." She said, smiling painfully. "See you tomorrow, John." She said with a wave.

"Yeah," He said, "Yeah, of course." And the way he said absently, staring at her in awe.

She offered Dave a wave before leaving the gym, catching the up town bus to her apartment, and headed upstairs.

The moment she was inside the flat she made a b-line for her bedroom. She pulled the necklace that held her TARDIS key out from under her shirt, taking the additional small key on the chain and unlocking the doors to her armoire. The only thing behind the double doors was a small safe. She punched in the code, and the door popped open. Rose removed the ornate wooden box from inside like it was a bomb, carefully carrying it over to her bed. Opening it, she looked at the beautiful fob watch inside. Running her fingers over the cool metal, she felt the warmth come from within.

 _Rose_ , his voice whispered, _my precious Rose._

She picked it up, holding it with both hands, thumbs clamping it against her palms as she brought it up to her lips and kissed the decorative surface as she closed her eyes. Her thoughts drifted to those last moments with her Time Lord, as they often did on the odd day she'd let herself hold the watch.

They had been in bed for hours, naked, sweaty, satisfied and yet still entirely unsatisfied. The feel of his cool skin along hers was better than she could imagine, as was the way he worshiped her for hours, and she him in return.

"You're insatiable," He smiled against her lips as she looped her leg over his, preventing him from doing anything but what he had been.

"I can't ever get enough of this," She admitted, her fingers touching his temple and sending him all the love and bliss he was making her feel back to him. Her finger tips trailed down his cheek, his neck, down to the hair on his chest. The absolute perfect amount of hair in her mind. And while they explored his body for the dozenth time, she still felt her mind humming with his. "How do I still feel you?" She asked as his mouth trailed down her neck.

"Bonded a bit," He said as he traced circles and lines on her stomach. "Not enough to link us without touch, but enough that we can touch anywhere and send thoughts and feelings."

"And is that normal?" She asked as she ran a single finger up his spin and felt him twitch against her thigh.

"For a human? No." He admitted as his nose grazed her collar bone. "But since parts of your brain started waking up, becoming higher functioning, possible that this was part of it."

"'Kay," She managed to get out as his mouth did things on her neck that made her lose all train of thought.

It was after another long, sensual moment of passion that they spoke anything more than each other's names. "Why now?" She asked as they laid on their sides, arms and legs wrapped around each other, keeping them pressed together. "Why not before?

"I dunno." He confessed, playing with her hair. "We were barely speaking for a while there, and my mental shields are still weak after the sun. My mind seeking out comfort, your mind unshielded and ready to search me out …." He reasoned. "Does this bother you?"

Rose shook her head. "I get to give you something you need," She said as she laid her fingers on his temple and sent him love. He closed his eyes and hummed happily. "Not sure what that means for my brain, but it doesn't hurt."

"We can look into the changes." He said softly. "Find out what's going on, if you want."

"No," She shook her head. "We said we wouldn't."

"Can just skip the life expectancy part," He murmured as his lips touched her forehead.

"You know you won't." She countered, her eyes falling shut. She heard him chuckled, his arms coming around her tighter.

"Sleep, Rose." He said, kissing her sweetly.

He stirred, and her eyes popped open as he climbed out of bed. "Where ya going?" She asked

The Doctor smiled fondly at her as he pulled on some pants. "The TARDIS told me Martha's awake. Apparently she fell asleep waiting in the media room and has been trying to find us since she woke up. Better go out there." He explained as he pulled on his trousers, then proceeded to dress. "But you stay in bed, rest." He said, climbing back on the bed to kiss her. "We can pick up where we left off later." He said in her ear.

"We better," She said, closing her eyes again.

She wasn't sure how long after that she pulled herself out of bed. She showered quickly, put on some jeans and a t-shirt, and then went out to the console room to find it empty.

The TARDIS showed her that the Doctor landed them on a deserted planet, but the ship felt uneasy about it. "Why?" Rose asked her, and all she got back was that the old girl was unsettled. That something felt off.

The first boom that shook the ship had her stumbling into the rail. Before the second, shaking boom the doors flew open and the Doctor was practically pushing Martha inside.

"Vortex!" He yelled, and Rose dashed to the console to get the ship off wherever they were. "Did they see you?" He asked Martha urgently.

"I don't know," She said, confused. "I was too busy running."

"Martha, it's important, did they see your face?" He asked with a thin veil of calm.

"They couldn't have." She said with certainty.

At that the Doctor dashed around to stand by Rose, looking at the monitor. A moment later, a warning chime came from the console, the old girl sent Rose a wave of surprised panic, and the Doctor curse. "They're following us."

"How can they do that? You've got a time machine?" Martha snapped in panic.

"Slow down," Rose yelled. "Who's following us, what's going on?"

"A family that seeks out life forces to extend their own." The Doctor explained quickly. "Theirs is likely on the way out, and they smelled me, a Time Lord."

"With a very long life span." She concurred.

"Yeah. And apparently they have stolen Time Agent technology by the looks of things. We'll never be safe, they'll follow us right across the Universe. Unless…." He trailed off, and when he turned she could see his heart was slowly breaking.

"Unless?" Martha asked.

"I stop being a Time Lord." A moment later, he moved to a different part of the console, pressing some buttons and opening a compartment. "Only way to keep you two safe." He said suddenly as some sort of device with a head piece came down from the ceiling, and a chair with straps on the arms and legs took the place of the jumpseat. He looked at the device with apprehension. "Never thought I'd have to use this." He said.

"What, hold on." Rose said. "Stop being a Time Lord? How?" She asked.

He lifted his hand, showing her a pocket watch. "This watch becomes me." He said, and Martha came up to stand beside him. "I use the Chameleon Arch, rewrite my biology, and everything that makes me a Time Lord gets put in here."

"Re-write your biology?" Rose questioned dubiously. The Doctor nodded. "Won't that …?"

"Hurt? Oh yes," He said wearily. "But what other choice do I have? We can't go anywhere as I am because they will follow us. Our best chance is to hide. The family, they're like mayflies, they'll die off in three months. Three months, we can do that, can't we?" He asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"That depends." Rose said. "What's going to happen if you aren't … you?" She asked nervously.

He smiled fondly. "I'll recognize you both. I'll have enough residual memory to let you both in, but I won't know you. Not until I meet you. I'm sorry, it's not like …."

"Same body, but different man then." Rose nodded, letting out a breath like she was punched in the gut, staring at the man she had made love with just hours ago and realizing he was leaving.

"Martha," he said, holding Rose's eye just a little longer before turning to their companion. "There's a box in the library on the mantle. Small and ornate. Can you bring it here?" He asked.

"Of course." She said, darting off without a second thought.

The Doctor cupped Rose's face the second they were alone, pressing his forehead to hers. She felt his love and grief pour over her. "I won't be the same man, no. I won't be me. But I know without a doubt that this," He said, sending something like a tickle to her, "this bond, no matter how small, is going to draw me to you more than anyone. I'm not going to know why, but that's where it comes down to you. My hearts are yours, and even when one is dormant part of me won't forget that."

"What do you want me to do?" She asked, gripping his wrists.

"I want you to do what you feel is right." He said. "But I am yours. This body, any body of mine, is yours. Don't let me do anything with it that would hurt you." He leaned in and kissed her, sending her love and calm despite how jittery she could feel he was. "I'm sorry." He said as he pulled back.

"Got it," Martha yelled, causing them to jump away from each other. Martha appeared a second later with the small, mahogany box, handing it to the Doctor.

He tucked it under his arm before reaching into his pocket, pulling out two cuffed bracelets: one silver, one gold. "One more thing," He said, sliding the silver one on Martha's wrist. "Do not take these off," He instructed. "They're going to mask your scent from the Family. It won't be as tempting as mine, but they may make the connection to me." He explained as he slid the gold one on Rose's wrist.

"Wait, why does Rose need one?" Martha asked, genuinely confused. "She wasn't with us."

The Doctor looked Martha straight in the eye, "Because her scent is quite literally all over me." He said frankly before turning away and getting into the chair. He handed Rose the box. "I'm trusting you with my life," he said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. She could only manage a half-hearted grin. "After this is done, the TARDIS will land herself. She's creating a back story for me, manipulating time and events so I can fit in to society. She'll do the same for you two but on a lesser extent. I'm going to seem out of it, but don't touch me. I'll guide myself out the TARDIS. She'll go into emergency shut down to save energy and hide herself." He took a deep breath, placing the watch in a slot on the arch before lowering the head piece down. He looked Rose dead in the eye. "Remember, it's all up to you what happens. I … oh you know." He said before slamming the device down on his head.

It was his screams that bothered her the most. Those shouts of extraordinary pain as he lost a big part of who he was. He once told her regeneration was painful, but she was certain the arc was worse. After that he had slumped in the chair for a few minutes before suddenly bolting up and walking for the TARDIS door, grabbing a bag along the way.

The ship had provided her and Martha a bag as well, though Rose didn't tell Martha that she was provided a credit card along with a fake identity, a job. Nor did she feel the need to inform her of the keys in the bottom of her bag, and the address for an flat. Luckily for Martha it was a two bedroom, and Rose, still in shock from all that happened, didn't dare be alone.

Two days after they landed in a small, North American city Rose's phone went off to indicate it was her first day of work, and she needed to be there in two hours. The Old Girl was looking out for her, which was more than she could say for Martha who was nearly late for her first day as a teacher in a High School. Rose had recognized the uniform that was among her clothes, and with a little help from the GPS on her new phone she got there on time. And, apparently, her higher processing power allowed her to learn how to make coffee for picky people really quickly.

People including John Smith.

Her breath caught in her throat when she first saw the Doctor, John, walk into the coffee shop she had been assigned to work in. He was the same, but so different. No suits or overcoats, instead he was casual in jeans and loose oxfords. He wore his glasses all the time, she came to notice, and he seemed far less graceful than he had been before. She was fairly certain that if John Smith was to attempt to walk on the backs of theatre seats to face an intimidating group of Daleks he'd stumble on the climb then fall on his face when attempting to cross aisles.

The first day they met, while handing him his cup, she accidentally on purpose brushed his hand. The electric jolt that went through her body, a common experience among humanity, did something to her mind as well. It was like picking up static on the radio, but still came through as warm. John met her eye and turned red, and she could tell from that first smile that something happened on his end as well. Though there was a strong likelihood that he would simply chalk it up to a part of human nature. Yet every day, this clumsy, lovely man seemed to seek her out in the coffee shop, pretending to look at travel mugs if she was stocking merchandise, commenting on the books she read if she was sitting on break, little things that made her smile and endear him toward her.

But she still missed the Doctor so bad it hurt. Even more when she saw small quirks of his in his body while it was housing someone else. She gripped the watch tightly for a while, letting it whisper the same few words into her mind until she felt centered again. Placing it back in its blue velvet lined back, she closed the lid. The box was returned to the safe, locked behind the locked doors of the armoire before she went to grab a shower and settle in for the night.

"As much as I'm not a fan of being a teacher, I must say I'm loving this." Martha declared as Rose emerged from the bathroom. "2005, I was in med school with hardly any social life. Out there across the ocean is a younger me wondering if the studying will ever end. And here I am, same year, different city, different country, different name, and it's just so … strange." She said. "I'm living the kinda life I always wanted, just teaching instead of practicing medicine. What about you? 2005, where are you right now?" She asked, as she handed Rose a carton of chips from down the road.

"On the TARDIS." She replied honestly. "So can't say I'm here at all. Right now there are papers covering the estate with my face on 'em because I've gone missing. My ol' mate Mickey is suspected of killing me, and I'm …." She trailed off as she came around and flopped down on the couch. "'S so weird." She said, looking at Martha as she sat down next to her. "My mum is still here in this universe. I could call her right now, tell her I'm alright, but I can't because she supposedly never heard from me. Same with Mickey. All he knows is I ran off with the Doctor."

Martha scrunched her face. "I thought you traveled with Nine first?" She asked.

There had been a few times over the last month the Rose wanted to blurt everything out, but held her tongue. When they first landed and Martha didn't quite understand why Rose insisted they refer to this human version as John. When they decorated the apartment with pictures of him and them, and one with Jack and the leather Doctor accidentally made it's way to a frame college. When Martha admitted that John had kissed her one night after a few drinks, and it reminded her of the kiss the Doctor gave her in the hospital. Rose wanted to tell her about all the things the Doctor and she had kept from her, but refrained each time. Not all of it was Rose's to tell, especially knowing that the Doctor didn't discuss regeneration with his companions unless he was about to go through it.

"I did," Rose said, shaking her head and pretending she was confused. "Right, sorry. Time Travel, gets so confusing sometimes." She said, flicking her hair for emphasis, as if a stereotype could explain it all away.

"Anyway, _How I met your Mother's_ coming on. You gonna watch it with me?" She asked.

"'Suppose." Rose said, popping a chip in her mouth. Her eyes drifted to the pictures on the wall, taking in that manic smile and the big brown eyes, and allowing herself one more moment of self pity before pushing it all back in place and focusing on the sitcom.

* * *

 

"So I talked to Rose," Dave said in a sing song voice at the end of the school day that Friday as he walked into John's classroom. "And guess who's going to be there tonight?"

John's head snapped up, the panic on his face making Dave laugh. "Oh, oh," John stuttered. "God, what do I say? What do I say to her? What do we even have to talk about? Oh god, what if she figures out I'm a nerd?" He asked, cringing. "Oh this is a disaster, shouldn't have ever asked her out."

"But you didn't. Technically I did, but since we both know she's not my type, I'm going to hand her over the someone who would appreciate her." Dave said as clap on John's arm.

He let out a nervous breath. "Right. Not a date. Not even a little. Just a gathering with some friends and … oh Martha. Martha's going to be there. She's going to make Rose think … oh, and we're right back to disaster."

"Already have a plan for miss Martha." Dave said as he started backing out of the classroom. "So you just focus on thinking what you're going to say to lil' miss Rose Tyson, and let me handle the rest." Dave turned around. "And John," He said over his shoulder. "You don't show up I'm going to your place and dragging you out of there."

John laughed, because despite only knowing Dave a short time he wouldn't put it past him.

He looked down at his clothes, deciding the green-blue oxford looked nice enough to wear out. Though he may have to go home and shower anyway, what with the prospect of Rose being at the pub tonight likely to make him sweat bullets. Rose _Tyson._ Somehow the name felt off, like it didn't quite roll off the tongue the way he thought it should.

"Mister Smith," He was pulled from his thoughts with a knock on the door, looking up to see Tim walking in. "You got a minute?" He asked, looking nervously out the door.

"Got a bunch of them," John said, gesturing for Tim to come in.

The tall, lanky teenager closed the classroom door, sauntering over to the desk he sat in during class in the front row. He brushed his hair back, looking up at John with his black lined blue eyes.

"You said I could come to you if I was being harassed." He said with a shrug. "Since there's a bunch of them waiting for me at the exits, I thought I could hide out in here."

"Well, I got nowhere to be until eight, so unless they all decide to hang around here until then," John smiled down at the kid dressed in a Slipknot shirt and baggy jeans, a typical look for Tim. "Why are they so interested in you?"

Tim shrugged, looking at his chipped, black nails. "'Cause it's easy to pick on the loner."

"Suppose," John admitted, leaning against the desk.

"Where ya gotta be at eight? A date?" Tim asked when a lull of silence fell between them.

"Sorta," John smirked.

"With Miss Jane?" Tim asked, looking up at John with a sly grin.

John's smirk fell, "Oh, is it really so bad that that's what you guys all think?"

Tim shrugged again, "Both new, both British, she's in here all the time, always hanging around you."

"No," John cut him off. "She's not who I'm seeing tonight. Just friends, she and I." He crossed his arms. "So now that I told you something, how about you level with me and what Baines and his pose want with you?"

Tim sighed, looking around the room. "Said something stupid." He admitted.

"You're a teenager, 'course you did." John deadpanned. Tim rolled his eyes up at his teacher who just waited him out.

"I told him last year that his date to prom was a lesbian. She was using him. Turned out I was right, but she didn't come out til that night." Tim said, whipping his head to clear the hair from his eyes. "Dunno, sometimes I just know shi- , I mean stuff that I'm not supposed to."

"Okay," John said. "Doesn't seem like a reason for Baines to be going after you."

"He thinks I set it up somehow. Didn't help that I asked how his Dad was doing with that second family of his." Tim grimaced. "Got punched in the face for that one."

"Trying being slapped by an big, angry blonde woman who thinks your shagging her daughter," John smirked before realizing what he said made no sense. He hadn't ever been slapped by someone's mother. Hadn't even really been involved with a girl where he'd met her mother to be slapped by.

Tim snorted. "Shagging."

When the awkwardness started falling around them again, John cleared his throat. "So you write?" He offered the change of conversation.

"Sorta." Tim said, adjusting so he could put his feet up on the desk.

"Sorta?" John asked, moving to sit in the desk chair next to Tim.

"Yeah, normally it's nothing. Lately though, I dunno, been getting these weird thoughts since school started. Like, I dunno, some messed up sci-fi stuff. 'Bout sword fighting aliens and cat nurses."

"Really?" John asked, his interest sparked for many reasons. "You write 'em all down?"

Tim shrugged, something John was starting to see was a nervous habit. "Didn't at first. Some of them are pretty messed up though, so I probably shouldn't have."

"Like what?" John leaned forward, hands together in front of him.

"Gas mask zombies," Tim said with a smirk. "You know, like those old school gas masks?" He mimed holding the mas in front of his face. "Gas mask zombies led by a kid, and some city is being bombed to crap at the same time. I mean, kids are scary as is, but that …."

John smiled, shaking his head. Not quite the same sort of things he'd been dreaming about, but pretty close. "Ever thought of making them into short stories? Sell 'em to some magazines or something?"

"You can do that?" Tim asked dubiously.

"Oh yeah," John said. "You could be a published author before you graduate if you're lucky, put enough effort into it. I can help you, if you want. I don't have anything out there myself, but I can work with you on the stories." He offered. He wasn't sure why, exactly. He read enough of them, especially Sci-fi and fantasy, so he had list of places Tim could try for. But it just seemed … odd, for him to want to help him like this.

"Maybe." Tim said, glancing at the clock. "If those jackasses are still out there now, then they're the ones who need a life." He said, getting out of the chair. "Good luck on your date, Mister S. Shag her silly, or something."

John watched him leave, nostrils flaring to stop him from laughing out loud. He glanced at the clock, noting that the two of them had been in the room for an hour. Still a few hours to kill. Maybe he would go home, get cleaned up, grab a bite and try not to think of Tim's off handed comment when he finally got to see Rose later.

* * *

 

"Rose!" She heard Dave call her over to a table near a big projector screen and a small stage at the front of the tavern. She turned, seeing him wave her over, and glimpsed John peeking around before his eyes met hers. She was set to run, and a big part of her still wanted to, but his smile pulled her to him like a magnet. Same body, different man, but that smile made her forget for a moment as she rushed over to them.

"Hello," She said, climbing up into the high chair beside John like she would have naturally with the Doctor, shedding her black leather jacket over the back of the chair and straightening her v-neck jumper. "Just the three of us?" She asked.

"Nah', got another one of our co-workers coming by. John and I just like getting the better table. Drink?" Dave asked, pointing to the bar.

"That would be lovely," She said, about to get down.

"No, no, no. I'll get it." Dave said in an overly polite way which was instantly clarified when he winked to John before walking away.

"Ignore him, it's what I try to do." John said with ease before looking at her and paling.

She tried not to look at him too hard, memories of being with the Doctor just hours before this man sauntered into his place creeping into her mind. "So how long you've been in the country?" She asked him, seeing it as the likeliest possible way to start a conversation with someone you aren't supposed to know. And really, she supposed, she didn't know him.

"About a month." He said instantly. "Decided I needed to get out of England, hopped over here, got a job. That's about it." He said with a nervous laugh. "You?"

"'Bout the same." Rose said, clearing her throat. "I was traveling and this is where I ended up having to stop. I had a friend in the area, we're sharing a flat now."

"Traveling?" John perked up. "Always wanted to travel, me. Probably why I came here, actually. Mind you, moving and traveling aren't really the same. Still, change. So, where've you been?"

"Oh, all around." Rose said, smiling as she tried to think of places that would sound believable. "Utah, New York, Scotland, Rome, France, Ireland." She said the last one with a bit of a laugh, thinking of the other world where her family was.

"Wow," John said, gaping at her. "And you do all this … alone?" He asked, tapping his finger against the rim of his beer stein as he stared at the contents.

Rose sucked in her lips to hide the smirk. He was too adorable, and she hated that she was starting to like that about him. "No, I was traveling with a bloke."

"Ah," John said quickly, knee now jerking.

"Just a friend though." She said, and he froze. "Well, sorta just a friend. We sorta were taking our relationship further."

"So what happened?" John asked, looking genuinely curious.

"He left." She said bluntly. "Didn't just swan off, he had his reasons, and they were great reasons, but … he left."

"You miss him." It wasn't a question, and Rose smiled at him.

"Very, very much." She admitted, holding his eye, hoping that if there was some part of the Doctor in there that he heard it. "But, have to keep moving forward, yeah?"

"Quite right," John beamed, and she giggled at it. "So who's this friend of yours that you came to stay with?" He asked, shifting a little closer to her.

"Rose?" Martha's voice came from behind, and Rose turned abruptly to see Martha's surprise mirrored her own. "What are you doing here?" She asked, looking between Rose and John.

"Dave invited me." Rose said, throwing a thumb toward the bar. "Thought you said you had a date?" She asked in return, looking at Martha's low cut vest and tight fitting jeans.

She glanced at John, "I thought I did." She said as she moved to sit on the other side of him.

"Oh, that's Dave's spot." John said quickly, causing Martha to stare at him slack jawed. "Sorry." John said, and something told Rose he didn't mean that.

"No, it's fine." Martha quickly grinned, climbing into the next seat over, putting her directly across from Rose. "So, Dave invited you." She started slowly. "And how do you know him?"

"He's one of my trainers." Rose replied. "I've told you about him."

"Yeah, just … didn't think he was the same one." Martha admitted as the man in question returned with a pitcher and three steins.

"Wait, _one_ of your trainers?" John asked, "How many do you have?"

"Oh, Dave just does the umm, mixed martial arts stuff. I see another trainer once a week for gymnastics. Used to do it when I was younger, and I sorta fell outta practice." Rose said as she poured herself a drink.

"Explains how you can eat chips every day and stay the same size." Martha said bitterly.

"You run," Rose grinned.

"So do you." Martha countered.

"And I'm starting to get the sense that we won't be running together anymore." Rose said, snarking back at Martha who gave her a fake grin.

"Ladies, please, no fighting." Dave said as he took the pitcher from Rose and poured a drink for Martha. "Now, since Rose and John know each other least, those two should be in a pair so they can get to know one another better."

"Or we could go with who knows each other best and Rose and I can be partners." Martha suggested.

"Where's the fun in that?" Dave smirked.

Rose shifted uncomfortably, but before she had a chance to say anything, or offer some kind of neutral option, the games started.

She wasn't entirely sure it was a good thing that she and John fell so in sync with one another. On one hand, it felt natural, normal, one providing the answers where the other may not have known it, or both coming to the same conclusion at the same time. On the other hand, it was dangerous. Constantly, Rose had to remind herself that this was not the Doctor, no matter how close John came to being him throughout the night. His mannerisms were often off, and he didn't have the same vast knowledge that he had before, but his smile, his laugh, the way he looked at her when she knew something he didn't, all made her feel like she was home.

They didn't win, though they did beat out Dave and Martha, the former pulling the latter with him as he paid their tab at the end of the night under the pretense of making sure he had enough money and to discuss some sort of science based teaching thing.

"Well," John said, voice loud with excitement. "That was fun."

"Was," Rose concluded, "Glad I came out." She confessed.

"Me too," John said. He glanced at the bar, then down to the space between them. "Can I walk you out? I mean know you and Martha will likely share a cab home, or something. But it's kinda loud in here, and, well."

"Sure," Rose answered, giggling with him when he beamed like a fool.

They got off their high chairs, John stumbling a bit before they put on their jackets and headed for the exit.

The night had cooled down considerable, the light traces of their breath in the air between them. Rose noted now that they were out of the bar how John's leather jacket looked painfully familiar, though not nearly as worn down as his previous body's choice. Previous body, that was the kind of thinking that was going to get Rose in to trouble.

"So, um, what are you, uh, what are you doing tomorrow?" He asked her, shifting around and kicking at the pavement.

"I have to work in the evening," She said, seeing the disappointment creep into his eyes. She should have left it at that, but instead she added, "I'm free in the morning, though."

"Yeah?" He smiled.

And Rose smiled back. "Yeah."

"So, uh, do you wanna grab coffee? No, not coffee. Coffee is a stupid idea. Breakfast? Nice little place around the corner."

"John," She interrupted him.

"Sorry." He said automatically.

She twisted her fingers, looking at the love of her life that wasn't really, feeling torn in a dozen different ways. "So the bloke I traveled with, yeah? He and I, well, we were just starting out. Really, truly. And I don't know if I can go down that road again."

"I understand." He said with a nod. "You need time."

"Yeah," She said, nodding.

_This body, any body of mine, is yours. Don't let me do anything with it that would hurt you._

The Doctor's words popped into her mind just as she heard Martha's laugh coming from the pub. She met John's eyes, seeing only the Doctor for a moment.

"But that doesn't mean we can't have breakfast," She blurted out, suddenly terrified of what might happen if she didn't do this. "Or, I dunno, hang out sometimes. Just the two of us."

"Yeah?" John said, his face lighting up in a manic grin that warmed her in a way she wished it hadn't. "Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Yeah, so umm, how about I get your number from Dave, and I will text you where to meet?"

"Sounds lovely." She smiled.

"Well alright. I will see you in the morning, Rose Tyson." He said, his brow knitting as he said her alias name, like something wasn't quite right about it. But then he shook his head lightly, Dave and Martha coming up to them, and the two pairs split up.

"You just couldn't stay away, could you?" Martha growled once they were a block away.

"What do you mean?" Rose asked, stopping on the corner and waiting for Martha to respond. She dared her to say something, anything, about her screwing up any chances Martha had with John.

"You are a trigger." Martha yelled. "He was more like the Doctor than I've seen him act the whole time we've been here, and it's all because of you. Why couldn't you just stay out of his life while we were here?"

"I never left!" Rose laughed. "I've seen him nearly every day since we've been here, just as often as you do. I didn't loop Dave into getting me out with you all if that's what you thought."

Martha glared at her, losing her fight. "We have two months left before the family dies off." She said forcefully. "Try not to make him remember before then, yeah?" She said before turning and storming off. Rose just watched her a moment before rolling her eyes and shaking her head, following a few feet behind.


	20. Human Nature pt 2

Time passed, the weather grew colder, and John and Rose grew closer.

It wasn't at all what Rose intended to have happen. She just wanted to keep him close, to do exactly as the Doctor requested and make sure he didn't do anything that would hurt her. But as breakfast Saturday morning turned to lunch, turned seeing each other the next day then to after work in the evenings, Rose was finding it more and more difficult to resist him. This was the Doctor as a human, after all, and while he wasn't the same man there was enough of him there that she felt herself falling.

Which inevitably turned into them sort of dating.

If she had to pin point where it started, it was the first time she held his hand. An accident built from habit as they roamed a bookstore one evening. John had found a collector's copy of Charles Dickens, and started rambling off everything his human brain knew about him once Rose showed an interest. And then, mid rant, her hand slipped into his and made him stumble. She would have pulled away, the warmth of his skin wrong against hers, but he squeezed her fingers gently and gave her a goofy grin that she couldn't take away for anything. From there, the hand holding became natural again to the point that neither thought to cover it up when they walked into the pub that Friday. Martha noticed, Rose knew, but she said nothing.

But that was about as physical as it really went. Hand holding was one thing, but the idea of anything more than the occasional hug made her nervous. When the Doctor was all leather and big ears that was the extent of their interactions, and she managed to get along just fine while dealing with how she felt about him. The body may be hers, as the Doctor put it, but it was incomplete without the entire man.

Though the shadow of him, the thin, pale comparison was still amazing and wonderful.

Bad, bad thinking on Rose's part.

"Here we go," John said as he walked out on to his balcony where Rose was laying on one of two loungers. He handed her a cup of pipping hot tea before pulling his lounger right up next to hers in the small area where the out door heaters worked against the chill of the October evening. "So, where were we?"

"It was your turn." Rose said.

"Right, so, uh, yeah, future ambitions you said." He pondered, contorting his mouth in all kinds of odd expressions as if he didn't want to say. "Are we talking teaching wise, or?"

"Anything you want." Rose mused as the blush crept up to his ears.

"Right, yeah." He said, exhaling a long breath that danced in the air above their heads. "I want a family life." He said bluntly.

"Oh?" Rose said, her heart breaking a bit.

"Yeah. You know, wife, house with a garden, ten kids."

"Can't have kids, me," She said automatically, looking up at the stars above the city.

"Dogs." John said quickly. "Ten dogs, various breeds. Or cats. No, not cats, the smell would be awful. Not a cat person."

And she laughed through the equal bouts of pain and pleasure his answers gave her. Rose rolled her head to meet John's vulnerable gaze. "Always thought you wanted to travel?" She teased.

"I could do that too." He answered quickly.

"You're eager to please." She countered, and his eyebrow quirked up in a bemused manner. "Seriously though, John." She said, emphasizing his name more for her sake than anything. "What do you want for your life?"

He sighed. "I dunno." He replied as Rose drank her tea. "Is it weird that I never really thought of it? That I never really thought I had a future? I know it's odd, and blimey, doesn't it sound morbid when you say it aloud. But I just never really thought about it much. I guess, in the future, I just want to say I was able to help where ever and however I could. Kinda like this Doctor bloke I keep dreaming about."

The liquid got caught in Rose's throat and she choked and coughed for a minute before she managed to choke out a "Doctor?"

"Yeah," John said, not at all seeing the terror or wonder in Rose's gaping stare. "For the last couple months I've had these fantastic dreams where I'm this adventurer named the Doctor. An alien with two hearts who travels in this blue box. And he sees these amazing creatures, and places, and does what ever he can to help."

"Yeah?" Rose said, schooling her face into one of interest that didn't give away how hard and fast her heart was pounding in her chest. "Does he do it alone?"

John's face turned red. "No." He said simply, "No he doesn't." His eyes drifted to her. "Now you think I'm barmy."

"No," She shook her head, smiling without meaning to. "Not at all. Tell me more about him. About this 'Doctor'." She said, shifting to lay on her side.

How much did he remember? How much of him was still in that head of John's, and was there a risk of him remembering before the end of next month?

"Alright, so," John started, telling her about their time fighting a werewolf in 19th century London, and Rose listened to the careful way John avoided giving the Doctor's companion a name.

A flash of light above them stopped John short, and the two watched as a green hue moved around the sky, fall somewhere around the school.

"What was that?" Rose asked.

"Shooting stars, I imagine." John replied, not seeming the least bit bothered by it. He turned to her with a grin. "Or maybe it's a space ship." He said with a twitch of his eyebrows.

Rose laughed, trying not to let the possibility of that being true play on her mind too much.

Without thinking, Rose scratched at her right wrist only to realize she shouldn't be able to. There should have been a bracelet where the itch was. Glancing down as John resumed his story, her throat went tight as dread clenched her chest.

Her bracelet was gone.

* * *

 

Martha walked around the back of John's building to the garage-like storage units, heading for the one that co-ordinated with his apartment. Taking out her keys, she found the one to the lock and got to her knees, fitting it in and feeling the release. Glancing around and seeing no one, she lifted the rolling door enough for her to get through before closing it behind her. Feeling the wall for the light switch she knew was there, she flicked it on and smiled at the sight of the lovely blue box.

She flipped through her key ring and found the one to the TARDIS, unlocking the door and stepping into the dimly lit inside.

It was eerily quiet, but Martha didn't mind. In here was better than the world she was thrown in, the one where John Smith flirts with her, going so far as kissing her, only to immediately chase after Rose like a puppy dog the second she saunters in a bar with a too-tight jumper.

It wasn't fair of her to think like that, she knew that. Rose wasn't actively trying to get John's attention, and Martha heard Rose crying in the shower or her bedroom enough times at night to know that this situation was destroying her. The Doctor was her best mate, and she had already lost Nine and her family. As much as Martha could see that Rose was not letting John edge what ever they were into the a more physical relationship, she did worry about the repercussions.

And that's why she came back, among other things.

She thought she saw Tim Latimer fingering something gold that looked a lot like the bracelet Rose had been wearing earlier in the day, but when she went to talk to him he pocketed it. Not really feeling she had the right to inquire, she let it go.

Then, as Rose was on her bed before going to see John, the fob watch laying before her, Martha picked it up to study it. She agreed with Rose that it was a good idea to keep it locked up so securely, to prevent it ever being lost or stolen, but she hadn't really gotten to look at it after Rose placed it in the little box the Doctor had asked her to get. She was careful with it, they both were, but as Martha handed it back to Rose their thumbs grazed the release at the same time, and the watch popped open. Both screamed in panic, Rose managing to get it closed before too much of the golden light leaked out, but both were too terrified to say anything. After Rose had closed the box, returned it to the safe and locked the doors to the hutch she took off to get ready to see John.

And if things weren't bad enough, an hour before returning to the TARDIS Martha caught the mysterious green glow hovering in the sky before disappearing around the school.

"Hello," The Doctor's voice ran out, and she turned to see the hologram of him standing a few feet away. "This is emergency program 45. Rose, Martha, if you're seeing this than I have used the chameleon arch. I wouldn't have time to properly tell you what you need to worry about, so the TARDIS has latched on to the instructions in my mind and will have put them in a hologram for you. I'm sorry, it's all happened too quick. So here it goes. First off, don't worry about the TARDIS, she'll go into emergency power so they can't detect it. Rose, I know for you that may mean your head will feel a little fuzzy. I'm sorry, but it's the only way. Second, don't let me hurt anyone. I have no idea what my personality will be like when I get to the other side of this, but I trust the two of you to make sure I don't do anything I'll regret. Three, don't involved in historical events. I'm not sure where the TARDIS will put us, but what ever you do, keep a low profile. Five. No, sorry, Four, stay together, don't abandon each other."

"But what do we do if there were accidents? Mistakes? What do we do if something odd comes around after those mistakes?" She asked, and as if her vocal request meant something, the hologram paused with his mouth open.

"Twenty-three," He suddenly started up again. "If anything goes wrong, if they find us, open the watch. Everything I am is kept safe in there. Once it's opened, the family will be able to find us so be very, very careful. Now, Martha, I'm sorry, but this next part is for Rose alone. I hate to ask you to leave, and I'm sorry I don't have a private message for you, but I am running out of time."

Martha sighed. She'd only seen this once, right after they landed, and the hologram probably wouldn't continue until she had left the TARDIS anyway. Sighing heavily, wishing there had been more of a hint, Martha stood and headed to the doors.

"Rose," The Doctor's voice made her freeze, and she only dared to watch the hologram over her shoulder. "I'm so, so sorry that this has happened. And so soon after, well, you know." He said, and she could see the smile on his face. "But it's important for you to know something: your scent is pretty much mine to the family. While they may have caught a small whiff of Martha, you would still come through so much stronger than she did even though it would have been secondary. Your life span will be just as tempting, and that's why it's imperative that you keep your bracelet on all the time. Taking it off would be like opening a new box of chocolate, the scent will be overwhelming and it will lead them to exactly where you were when the bracelet was removed. With any luck it might confuse them but …." He paused. "I'm fading. Sorry. Time's up. Keep me safe, precious girl. All of me. I …." And the hologram faded out.

Martha's heart pounded, her ears rang, and she tried desperately to think if she remembered seeing the bracelet on Rose's wrist.

The doors to the TARDIS creaked open, and Martha turned to see a wide eyed Rose staring at her.

"I think we're in trouble." She said between panting breaths.

"You saw it to?" Martha asked her.

"Worse than that," Rose said, lifting her wrists. "Bracelet's gone."

* * *

 

"How'd it turn out?" Tim asked John as he finished looking over the short story he handed in. Technically it was for an assignment, but John asked Tim to come by at the end of the day for them to discuss it.

"Pretty good, actually," John said as he took his normal spot next to Tim in the student's chairs. "Though I question whether or not his companion would have actually been the one to shoot out the space ship."

"Yeah, she was. Because she's a bad ass." Tim countered, pushing his hair out of the way. "And besides, what do you know? All the stories you have in that journal of yours makes your guy sound like he wants someone to rescue."

"Maybe he does," John countered, glancing at the journal in front of Tim on the desk. "Maybe he likes to feel wanted, or important."

"He sounds full of himself in some cases," Tim said, picking up the journal and flipping through it. "Or themselves, I guess," He said as he came across the page where John had sketched the various faces he'd glimpsed in his dreams. "Where'd ya learn to draw like this, anyway?" Tim asked, tapping his knuckle against the page.

"Gallifrey," John replied automatically.

"'Kay," Tim said with an eye roll. "Must be somewhere in Ireland."

"Yeah." John said, narrowing his gaze. "Guess so."

"You guess so?" Tim countered, chuckling in his throat. "You don't even remember? Man, sixties were bad for you."

"Oi, how old do you think I am?" John scoffed, and Tim laughed.

"Old," he said. "Way older than you look, that's for sure." He added, and just as John thought to say something about rudeness, he could tell that Tim wasn't quite sure about what he said himself.

There was a hesitant knock on the door, and Tim glanced up before John did, his gaze narrowed as if he recognized whoever it was, but didn't know how.

"Hi, sorry, am I interrupting?" Rose's voice got his attention, and he couldn't resist the smile that came over him.

"Thought you had your other training tonight?" John asked, standing up and straightening his shirt out. He still wasn't used to Rose, still couldn't believe that this woman was genuinely interested in him, and it made him nervous every time. Nervous that the dam would break and something would change and he'd lose her.

She grinned, not quite the big one he found he liked most, but one that still made his heart stutter. "I do, don't need to be there for another couple hours. Thought you were working tonight." She teased, and then her tongue stuck between her teeth and part of his brain shut off.

"I do," He managed to say. "Parent teacher conferences. Doesn't start for another couple hours." He said, shifting closer to her. "So what brings you by?" He asked, hand reaching for hers like muscle memory.

"I was hoping that I left my bracelet here," She said. "I never noticed, but when I came to see you yesterday I had it but by the time we got to your place."

"Oh," John said, trying to think if he saw it. "I hadn't noticed. You want me to check the lost and found or …?"

"Is this it?" Tim spoke up, holding the gold object out.

"Oh my god, yes!" Rose exclaimed with sheer relief. "Thank you! Where'd you find it?"

"Out in the hall." He said with a shrug. "Came by to see Mister S and found it outside his door."

Rose darted over and grabbed the bracelet before she kissed Tim on the cheek hard. "You're a great kid. I wish I had something to give you for it."

"'S all good," Tim stuttered, his face beat red, and John had to cover his mouth to stop his snort from becoming a full on laugh.

"Still, can't thank you enough." Rose said as she clutched the bracelet to her chest, her hand wrapped tightly around it.

"Just be glad it was only a day," Tim said quietly. "Though it may have done more damage than the fumble with the watch."

Rose leaned back and stared at him, looking at him in disbelief. "What?" She said on a breath.

Tim shrugged. "Sorry, sometimes I say shit, I don't even know why." He said, bowing his head.

"Yeah," She said, taking a really good look at the young man before she cleared her throat and came back over to John. "So, umm, you still want me to go with you tomorrow?"

"Oh yes," John said with a smile, "Don't want to chaperon a Halloween dance without you. Where would be the fun? Besides, already got my costume all picked out."

"Oh, we're dressing up, are we?" Rose asked as she fastened the bracelet back on her wrist. "Good thing I brought it up, otherwise, how would I have known?"

"Sorry," He smiled. "So, umm, I'll talk to you later?"

"Of course," She said, and John thought for a spit second that maybe she was going to kiss him. And as if she had realized he noticed her lean in, her cheeks turned red before she placed a quick peck on the corner of his mouth. Turning and leaving before he could say or do anything, all John could do was watch Rose walk down the hall and ignore the way that Baines seemed to sniff her before watching her walk away himself.

"Dude, that's your girlfriend?" Tim asked as he came up beside him.

"Yep," John said, a bit of manly pride washing over her.

"Nice," Tim said, his hand hovering in a fist by John. Realizing what it was, John bumped his fist to Tim's. "Woman's a wolf."

John's brow knotted. "Isn't it supposed to be fox?" He asked.

"Nah, man, that's an insult to her. She's a wolf." Tim huffed. "Anyway, I gotta head. Don't wanna be here when my aunt shows up." He clapped John on the shoulder. "Later Storm Boy."

"Storm boy?" John asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame.

"Just me saying shit." Tim called over his shoulder.

"Language." John half-heartedly scolded. Tim just waved as if he had merely said 'later' and kept going.

* * *

 

"There she is," John said happily as Rose came up to him and Martha as they headed back toward the school from the coffee shop Rose worked at. "Is that your costume for tonight in that bag?" He asked as he spied the plastic sack in her hands.

"You're going to be there too?" Martha asked with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

Another month, she told herself. Another month and it will all be back to normal. John will be gone, and Rose and the Doctor could fall back into that perfect team they had been. And maybe, just maybe, Martha would be able to earn the smile that John was now giving Rose as the flirted. It had been her look before, the one he'd give her before telling her she was a star, when she did something brilliant or they lived through another near catastrophe. Too soon had they had to take a pause in their developing relationship, what with Rose falling ill after the Cupla mission, then the sudden attack by the sun on a space ship.

She was ready to forgive him for not being honest about the other companions, to let him know that all was still well between them, but she hadn't been able to find him for an hour after she woke up, and he was so quick to bring them to that beautiful planet with its vast landscapes for her to start the conversation. Then the family struck, and well, it was all down hill from there. Except, of course, for that first week when John flirted with her because of their mutual homeland, all culminating in that kiss outside the bar.

"I'm not telling you what my costume is," Rose protested, "So stop asking. You'll find out when I meet you later."

"Can't I get a hint?" He asked in a begging manner. "I already told you I was going as super hero of sorts."

"And that was more of a hint than I had asked for." Rose countered.

"But it was a hint nonetheless, one I was hoping you picked up on and would, oh, I don't know, go as my sidekick." He said in an obvious way as the stopped in front of the school, almost being hit by a skateboarder in their sudden pause.

"I'm no one's sidekick." Rose teased, smiling with her tongue between her teeth. Why did she do that? Why did she have to flirt _all_ the time, and with _so_ many people? "If I am anything to anyone it's their partner. Mutt to their Lewis, Hope to their Glory."

"Shiver to their Shake," He said without a second thought his eyes focusing something on the distance.

Rose caught Martha's eye, and there was a panic in them that lead her to believe that it wasn't just a random pairing he blurted out.

"Whoa," John said, suddenly whirling around and catching the arm of a skateboarder who was looking back at his friends. A few seconds later the smack of his board on metal and a car horn's angry blaring got her attention.

"Oh my god, is anyone hurt?" Martha asked, going into Doctor mode as she watched the driver get out of his car and inspect where the board hit.

The teenager, who looked as though he was about to wet himself, seemed fine other than the bruise he'd likely have on his arm from where John yanked him.

"No, thankfully." John gritted. "Next time use your brain, James. Better in your head than on the pavement."

"Yeah, sure thing, Mister S." He said, going to collect his board and talk to the owner of the car.

"Blimey, super hero might be on the money." Rose said, her voice shaking.

John shrugged. "Not all that heroic, just good timing." He said, looking over Rose's shoulder and smiling. "Ah, and look who decided to grace us with his presence today! Good ol' Dave." He said with cheer, waving to their fellow teacher.

Something seemed off about him, Martha noticed right away. His eyes were too wide, his grin too forced. And what was more is he wouldn't stop grinning. He came up between Rose and John, taking a deep breath through his nose.

"You alright, there, mate?" Rose said, looking at Dave suspiciously.

"You wearing a new smell, there, Rose?" He asked in an oddly monotoned voice.

"No," She said, furrowing her brow, sniffing her jumper. "Did we change laundry soap, because Vikki at work asked me the same thing?" Rose asked her, and Martha shook her head. "Odd." Rose said before shrugging it off. "Anyway, you three go back to work, and I will see you, mister, at seven. Don't be late."

"Wouldn't dream of it," John said adoringly before Rose walked away. He sighed, looking pleasantly dazed before Dave leaned in and took a good, strong whiff of him, eyeing him suspiciously. "Dave?"

"Sorry," Dave said, his odd grin not faltering. "Thought I smelled something." He said before heading inside, Dean Baines joining him along with some preppy looking blonde girl.

"Is it just me, or is he acting weird?" John asked as he and Martha headed inside a little more slowly.

"Very," She said, an unsettling feeling gripping her chest that she just couldn't shake.

* * *

 

"I think you should take the watch with you." Martha tried to encourage as Rose finished with her make-up.

She paused, eyeliner just beneath her tear duct as she stared at Martha's reflection in the mirror. "No." Rose said firmly before continuing to line her eye.

"You agreed that it's likely we've been found," Martha protested, striding up beside Rose and standing so she had to be looked at. And Rose relented, not only because she couldn't finish getting ready, but because this was a conversation that needed to be ended. "Why not take the watch with us where we know we can access it quickly if we're found?"

"And what if someone bumps it open? Or worse, what if we lose it? The Doctor told me to protect him, to keep him safe, and that's what I'm doing by keeping the watch locked up."

"You don't understand," Martha tried to protest, looking slightly comical in her blue Belle dress while trying to be serious. "They chased us through the vortex, do you really think we'll get away from them if they corner us at some party?"

"And do you really think having the very essence that they want right there is going to do us any good?" Rose asked in counter, and she could see Martha struggling to come up with a valid argument. "If they're here, then it's my fault. I was the one who didn't notice my bracelet came off, and it was probably me who flicked the watch open. Hell, it may even be my fault that there seems to be so much more of the Doctor in John than we were led to expect. But I will not, under any circumstances, let that watch out of this flat, out of that safe, until it's time for the Doctor to come back to us."

Rose and Martha stared each other down for the longest time, seconds ticking away from the clock on the wall, neither wanting to be the one that gave up their stand.

"I would go through great lengths to protect the Doctor," Rose reminded Martha. "Risked my life for him before and would do it again. But the watch stays here."

Martha was about to counter when her cell phone rang. Being the one to break eye contact, she went after the device in the living room.

Rose finished her make-up before standing back and taking a look at herself in the top half of her costume. And maybe Martha had a point about her being a trigger, keeping the bit of the Doctor in John's personality in the forefront, but she also couldn't help it. It was an exact copy of what she wore with him when he was supposed to take them to see Elvis, and oh did it bring back memories for her. Painful, beautiful memories of when she was sure he was going to kiss her but didn't, but how she swore they inched closer to getting to where they were before he had to turn human.

Sighing, she grabbed a square of tissue paper and dotted the tears from her eyes before they spilled over an ruined her make-up.

"Alright, that was the school. Dave hasn't shown up like he was supposed to to help set up, so they want me to go in. Please, Rose, consider bringing the watch. I just … I got a bad feeling."

"I know," She said to Martha in the mirror. "Me too." An with a nod, Martha turned and left the flat, grabbing her coat along the way.

John would be there soon, and suddenly she found she needed some strength to get through the night. The costume was a bad idea. Talking about the Doctor, and the watch, and the family was a bad idea. And all of those were starting to make her want to enact Martha's bad idea.

Going into her bedroom, she went about unlocking the various safe guards she had in place, getting the watch box out of the safe and bringing it to the bed. Pulling it out, caressing it, it whispered to her.

_Rose, keep me safe. Be careful, precious girl. Be cautious._

_They're here._

Rose dropped the watch into the lining with a startle. So it wasn't just a hunch on their part, the family really was there. Hunting them down, or namely hunting down the Doctor.

She wavered staring at the watch, wondering where on her costume she could put it without losing it. But no. She slammed the lid of the box down and promptly returned it to it's place behind the locked doors. They were here, but there was nothing to say they caught on to him, that they knew where he was. If anything, they knew where _she_ was, and if it came down to keeping him safe over her, well, her multiple centuries were nothing on the Doctor's virtual immortality. He could still stop them even if they consumed her.

He would be safe.

The tentative knock on the door made her gasp, and she forced herself to calm down and take a breath. It's not like blood thirsty aliens from space knocked. She knew who was on the other side of the door, she'd been expecting him.

Straightening her dress and throwing on her jacket, she put on her best smile and strode to the door.

"So, what do you think?" The Doctor asked as he put his arms out to the side, showing her the brown, pin-stripped suit he favored so much when he first regenerated. "I know that pretty much everyone except you and Tim aren't going to know who I'm dressing up as, but I thought it'd be fun. Play the adventurer for the night." He asked, his manic grin in place as it had always been.

Tears started prickling her eyes, seeing him as _him_ before her both making her heart break while it swelled with longing. The latter dominated, and without thinking she stepped up and put her hand on the back of John's neck to make sure he didn't move as she got up on the tips of her toes and kissed him.

It wasn't supposed to be any more than a firm, chaste kiss, but John apparently had other ideas. After his initial shock, his lips became mailable before seeming to take on muscle memory from the hours the Doctor had spent kissing her just before the change. He cupped her face, and as much as she wanted to pull away it was difficult. But one thing Rose was missing, the thing that allowed her to finally pull away, was the lack of his presence in her mind. That was in the watch some thirty feet away.

"Wow," John said simply. "Guess you, umm, like the costume then." He said, clearing his throat and shifting the blazer.

Rose laughed, "'S very original. I guess, I just liked how you looked in a suit." She covered quickly.

"Right, well, okay. So we should, uh, go. To the dance. Where we're chaperoning."

"Yeah," She said, stepping out of the apartment and locking up behind her.

* * *

 

"Well, this isn't so bad," John said as they walked into the dance already in progress. The school gymnasim was decorated to the hilt with Halloween decor and smoke machines, the room darkened with only the neon and black lights to offer any kind of visibility. "Don't see too many skin baring costumes, always a good thing."

"You seem incredibly nervous, considering." Rose pointed out.

She was sure if the lighting had been a bit better she would have seen John's ears go red.

"I may or may not have been debating all night if I should ask you to dance, or if that would be frowned upon." John admitted, leaning in to keep his voice low.

Rose laughed. "Oh, I'm fairly certain that would make you out to be the most embarrassing teacher here." She teased, smiling with her tongue between her teeth.

"Oi, I'll have you know, Rose Tyson, that I am an excellent dancer." He countered, straightening his tie in just the way he always had as the Doctor.

"Are you?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"No idea," John admitted, and they both laughed.

"Oh my God," Martha's voice got their attention before she threw her arms around a startled John who had no idea what to do with his hands. "You're back! Wait, if you're back, then somethings wrong, have they found us?" Martha asked as she backed away and looked around the room.

John laughed nervously, looking to Rose and attempting to loosen the collar of his shirt with his finger. "Umm, didn't realize I went anywhere. Well, except home to change. Like my costume? I'm this character that Tim and I have been sorta working on." He said, straightening his blazer. "I'm the Doctor."

"A character," Martha said, gapping at him before looking to Rose who merely shrugged. "Right."

"Hey Mister S, nice costume," Tim proclaimed as he came up to them, wearing a suit himself though in blue. In his hand, Rose noticed, was something wrapped in duct tape with a blue marble on the end. "Though personally, I think mine's better."

"It is quite impressive." Rose smiled, making Tim blush.

"Yeah," He said, trailing the word as he shuffled. "Anyway, mind if I, uh, hang around with you guys?"

"You don't want to hang out with your friends?" Martha asked. "Dance with a girl or two?"

"Uh, yeah, technically the closest person I have to a friend here is 'the Doctor', Miss Jane." Tim replied with a bit of grin before ribbing John. "And honestly, I think it's best if I'm near here, if you know what I mean."

Martha furrowed her brow. "Can't say I do, but alright." She said, looking back out at the students with confusion.

Tim turned to Rose, and she saw the worry there, the way he steeled himself for something to happen. A cold chill shot through her, and she turned her gaze away only to have it fall on a pair of teenagers staring at them with disturbing smiles. Both seemed to inhale at the same time, like they were taking a deep whiff of the smoke filled air.

"Tim," Rose said, her voice shaking as those teenagers tilted their heads to the side.

Before the young man could say anything, a blast of light and the hum of a laser cut off the music. The students screamed and ran to the opposite side from where the DJ had been, all cowering and clamoring over each other.

"There will be silence! All of you!" Dave shouted, flagged on entrance by Rose's red-haired co-worker Vikki. Both are armed with guns that look far too alien to be from this time period, and clearly real.

"Dave," one of the other teachers approached him, "What's going on?"

With an unsteady smile, Dave turned the gun on the teacher and shot him, leaving nothing more than a pile of ash where the man once was.

"Holy shit," Tim mumbled quietly.

"John," Rose said softly, "Stay behind me, don't make a sound. We'll see if we can get out." She shifted slightly in front of him.

"Behind you? Shouldn't you be behind _me_?" He asked in hushed, panicked tones, gripping her arm and seeming to work up the courage to actually be the one to do the protecting.

"We asked for silence!" Vikki proclaimed, and immediately the room died down to silent.

"There he is, mother of mine," The preppy looking blonde girl who'd been eyeing them all night inched toward Vikki and Dave, smiling that same disturbing smile. "There's the Doctor. I know, I heard them talking and," She took a whiff, " Don't you smell it? That hint of what we smelled before?"

"He took human form," The teenage boy said, and Rose realized that none of them had blinked.

"Human?" John choked out. "What do you mean, 'human form'? What other form could I possibly be?" His voice grew higher with every word, and his hands on Rose's arms began to shake.

"And a human brain, too! Simple, thick, and dull."

"He's no good like this." Vikki shook her head.

"We need a Time Lord." Dave said with a sinister satisfaction.

"Easily done," The teenage boy said, leveling the gun with John's head, though the shot would have hit Rose. "Change back." He demanded.

"Dean, please, what are you talking about?" John begged.

"Change back," Dean insisted.

"What?" John stammered.

"He needs more motivation," The teenage girl said, grabbing Martha and shoving her toward Vikki. For her part, Martha only let out a yelp, even as the gun in Vikki's hand was leveled to her head. She took a couple deep breaths before glaring at Rose, an 'I told you so" dancing in her eyes. "She's your little lady love, isn't she? That's what this girls memories say. Won't you change back to save her." The teenage girl taunted.

"No, she's not the one he loves, she's just his friend." Dave said, grabbing Rose so quick she hadn't had any time to react before she was whirled around and forced to stare at John as she sensed the gun near her temple.

Rose stood firm, refusing to allow her body to shake despite how bad her muscles quivered. She ran through all the maneuvers Dave had taught her, and hoped somehow the thing that possessed him didn't have access to those memories.

"Have you enjoyed it, Doctor? Being human?" Dean taunted as John looked terrified between Rose and Martha. "Has it taught you wonderful things? Are you better, richer, wiser? Then let's see you answer this, which one of them do you want us to kill? Your friend, or your lover? Your choice."


	21. Family of Blood

"Make your decision, Mister Smith," Dean, the teenage boy possessed by a member of the family, taunted John as his parents in human bodies held Rose and Martha at gunpoint.

"We should shoot the blonde," Suggested the teenage girl. "Perhaps if that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge."

"Or you could just leave him alone," Rose said, fingers moving down the latch on her bracelet.

"Now, hold on!" Tim said loudly, stepping out in front of John before Rose could release the bracelet latch. "Let's not get too carried away. First of all, how do you know _I'm_ not the Doctor? Hmm? I mean, got the snazzy suit, got the little sonic thingy-ma-bob." He said, wiggling his fake sonic screwdriver between his fingers. "What's he got? Huh?"

"He's not the Doctor," Dean said, smiling. "This body has memories of the pathetic human growing up."

"Right," Rose said, flicking the latch on her bracelet just before she elbowed Dave's body in the solar plexus and managed to get hold of the gun. She turned it on him, closing the latch on her bracelet once more to find that it was distracting enough for Martha to somehow get the gun off Vikki the red head. "Nice going," Rose panted.

"Same." Martha said. "Now, one more move and we shoot."

"Did you smell that brother of mine," The teenage girl said, staring at Rose with a desperate hunger. "She's not entirely human."

"It's a false scent, daughter of mine," Vikki's voice said as they all seemed to stare at Rose. "It's alluring, but it's not enough."

"Are you sure, wife of mine?" Dave said, taking a big whiff. "It's duller now, but I thought it was the same scent we smelled on the Time Lord."

"We know the Doctor is a man, husband of mine. Though this creature's essence is linked to his, I think." Vikki said, inching closer.

Martha shot the gun at the ceiling, causing the students scream out a moment. "Oi, I think that's enough." She said, pointing her gun toward Dean.

"Oh, the teacher is full of fire," Dean taunted, a salacious smile coming over his face. "It'll be a shame to kill you."

"Try it, we'll die together." Martha countered.

"Would you really pull the trigger? You look scared." Dean taunted.

"Scared and holding a gun, good combination. Wanna risk it?"

"With you, yes." Dean said, finger twitching on the trigger before a beam barely missed his head. He turned wide eyed toward Rose.

Her hand was steady, her gaze hard, and if she didn't know any better she would say she was pulling her own kind of Oncoming Storm off on the moment. She snarled a moment before it changed into a smile at the fear in the son's eyes.

"You don't want to be trying that, Mate." She said evenly. "John, get the students out." She said, keeping her eyes on the family. "Tim, help."

"Emergency exits, all of you." John shouted, his voice trembling, and it wasn't a second later that the stampede toward the exits started, the room filled with scrapping shoes, fearful whimpers, and the alarms going off as the emergency exits were opened.

When the school gymnasium was empty, Rose took a step back. The family made to advance.

"Uh, uh," She said calmly. "Not another step." She said.

"She's an animal, this one." Dean noted.

"She is. Protective and fearsome. Maybe we should consume her too."

As they took another single step forward, and the four remaining in the gym took one step back, Rose's mind buzzed. She looked around the room all without seeming to take her focus off the family, calculating what might be useful and in what way, and how they could use it to escape. Her brain settled on the nearby smoke machine, close enough to the family that it would hinder them, fair enough from them to avoid injury, and all if she hit it at exactly the right spot.

She pulled the trigger, and the small explosion caused Smoke to cloud the family, probably disorienting them as well, and Rose turned sharply. Grabbing John's hand along the way she pulled him to the emergency exit, hearing two other sets of feet following close behind.

"Now what are we going to do? Take the bus?" Martha said more in panic than anger.

"My car's this way," Tim said, pointing to the student's lot around the corner. The three others didn't hesitate to follow, and Tim had his keys out of his pockets and unlocking the doors automatically before they were ten feet away. Piling in, Rose and John barely had their seat belts on before Tim was starting the engine and taking off.

"You … you … Rose, what?" John stuttered, eyes wide and not looking at her.

"Where's the watch?" Tim asked, glancing at Rose in the rear view mirror.

"Our flat, 45 Oak." She replied.

"How do you know about the watch?" Martha asked.

"I dunno." Tim replied.

"No, not a good answer, Mister Latimer. How do you know about the watch?" Martha whirled around to look at Rose. "Did you tell him?"

"I barely know him." She countered, her voice cracking as the realization of what had and was happening started to hit her.

"I just know shit, okay!" Tim blurted out.

"Language!" John countered, and after a moment of silence they all sorta laughed nervously.

"I just, I dunno, always knew crap about people. Crap I shouldn't know. Little things, usually. But since Mister S came to town, I've been getting all these weird thoughts and dreams. About heroes and aliens, and all kinds of stuff that I don't understand and have never experienced."

"You dreamed of the watch?" Rose asked.

Tim shook his head before he made the turn down their rode. "I saw it. In my head. It was like knowing your bracelet was important. I didn't know how to get it to you, but I saw your face before we met and knew who it belonged to."

"What are the three of you talking about?" John asked, and Rose looked to see his was trembling. "What does a watch have to do with anything? What were Dave, and Dean, and Becca, and the other one all going on about?"

Tim stopped outside the building in an empty parallel space, and Rose turned to John. "Come upstairs," She said gently. "We'll explain."

The four of them filed up to the apartment silently, heading inside the dark apartment. Martha must have flipped on the light, because a moment later everything felt bright, and under the microscope. Suddenly all those pictures of Rose and Martha with the Doctor felt far larger than they were, his captured manic grin too wide to not be noticed.

"What the hell?" John said, the fear replaced by confusion as he took in the pictures on the wall.

"We've known each other for three years," Rose started. "You've taken me to see so many wonderful things. People. You gave me a whole new life." She said, watching him as he took in the pictures. "Traveling with you has been the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Travel with me?" John whirled around. "But you said that the bloke you were traveling with left you."

"He did, and like I said, he had good reasons too." Rose tried to smile, but the pain in John's eyes was almost too much to bear. "You had to hide. You had to become a new man."

John laughed, but there was no humor. "Right, so you're telling me that I'm someone else? Someone who travels with you, who people call …." The smile fell from his lips. "You're saying I'm the Doctor?"

"Yes," Rose said softly.

"No," He said abruptly.

"Please," Rose started to say.

"No!" John yelled, hands motioning for her to stop as his lip quivered. "It's a fake story, he's not real. Rose, please, he's not real."

"He is, he's you." She implored. "Look around you, how do you think these were all taken, hmm?"

"You photoshopped them somehow."

"Wearing a suit you've only worn just tonight?" Martha asked, drawing his attention. "I'm sorry, but Rose isn't lying."

John looked at all three of them, his arms dropping to his sides, an air of defeat sitting on his shoulders. "So what's the stakes you two have in all this?" He asked. "Both of you try to date me, I assume that's all a lie?"

"No," Both girls said in unison, glancing at one another before looking back to John.

"So what is this Doctor? Some sorta Casanova? A ladies man?"

"Depends on his mood," Rose mumbled, crossing her arms and trying to ignore the snort that came from Tim behind her.

"We travel with you." Martha said, "You refer to us as your companions, but we're your friends."

John nodded, pacing in front of the couch. "So what's this, this watch thing?"

"It's who you are." Rose said gently. "It holds everything that makes you you."

"But I'm me!" He growled back. "I'm me! My name is John Alex Smith. I grew up in Nottingham, I lived in London for five years. I moved here to start a new life! I like Sci-fi, and Thai Food, and I'm in love with a woman named Rose Tyson!" He shouted back, his eyes misting.

"But that's not even my name," Rose sniffed. "It's Rose, but it's not Tyson, it's Tyler. And Martha isn't Martha Jane but Jones, and you are not John, you're the Doctor. My Doctor!" She took a deep breath, calming herself down.

"And you let me fall in love with you?" He said evenly. "Even though none of it's real?"

"Who's to say that part isn't?" She said quietly, feeling Martha's eye burn on the side of her head. She took a couple steps toward John, stroking his cheek a moment. "I'll be right back." She said, heading into her bedroom, tugging the key from around her neck before she was even in the room.

An explosion sounded outside, and Rose closed her eyes as she realized they were running out of time to prevent altering history, and possibly causing more than four lives to be lost.

"What was that?" She heard John ask as she unlocked the armoire.

"Probably the family trying to lure you out." Martha said, and there was silence as Rose punched in the code to the safe.

"How can you stand here and say that? How can you think I'm this Doctor person. Martha, you know me, we work together. The most adventurous thing I've ever done was put mustard on my sandwich instead of mayonnaise. Why would I even _want_ to be him?"

"Because the dude's a badass." Tim said as Rose removed the box from the safe. "He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like night. He's the storm in the heart of a the sun. He's ancient and forever, burns in the center of time. He can see the turn of the universe."

"And he's wonderful." Martha said adoringly, and Rose plucked the watch from it's safe place. "I hardly know him," Martha continued. "But I do know that he is everything. To the Universe, to me. And I love him to bits, I do."

"Here it is." Rose said as she entered the room, halting Martha mid reach for John and causing a blush to go to her cheeks.

"Can I … can I see it?" Tim asked.

Rose hesitated, looking to John who eyed the thing like it was deadly. She handed it to Tim, who took it, smiling.

"I can hear him." He said, a chuckle on his voice. "I can hear him whispering. He's ready, he knows it's time. He's ready to come back."

John glanced to Tim, eyes falling on the watch. In a fluid motion, Tim chucked it over to him, and John caught it with ease, running his fingers over the surface as he stared it down.

"How do I hear a voice in a watch?" Tim asked Rose.

"Oh, low-level telepathic field, paired with your slightly psychic tendencies. You were born with them, likely brought on by something in your genetics, or an extra synaptic engram …." John had answered, his voice going a touch higher before he stopped and stared at them all. "Is that how he talks?"

"All the time," Rose said, trying not to show how good it was to hear him as she moved to stand with John.

Explosions sounded outside again, sirens going off in the distance as emergency services started kicking in to help with something they wouldn't understand.

"So that's it? I die, and the Doctor comes back? I go away, and someone else takes my place?"

"You're more him than you realize," Rose tried to sooth, putting her hands on his chest, feeling his single heart pound.

John scoffed, shaking his head. "Suppose it's no use just handing this over to those things?" He asked. "Not if they want you with it." She said nothing, just watched his eyes clench shut. "I don't wanna go," He choked out. "I don't wanna go, and have someone else come in who doesn't love you. I don't want you to hurt. I want … God, I want the house, and the ten dogs, and you as my wife, Rose Tyson. Or Tyler, I don't give a damn what your name is, I want you. Can you honestly tell me he wants you too?" He asked, opening his eyes and pleading with her to confirm.

Rose gave him a sad smile and a nearly imperceptible nod before brushing away his tears. His eyes became hard, hinting at a storm brewing.

John's kiss came so forcefully, Rose could feel the bruise forming on her lips. He gripped the back of her head, holding her mouth to his until his lips began to quiver.

A moan of pain hummed in his throat before he was forced to pull away as his face was contorted in agony, a strangled cry filling the otherwise quiet apartment as the gold light from the watch circled around him. Sweat dotted his brow, his breathing ragged and uneven, until suddenly it wasn't and the light was gone.

Cool hands gripped her shoulders, thumbs brushing her neck, but Rose was barely able to breath as she waited.

Beneath her left hand, a heart started beating in his chest, and her mind started to feel a second presence hum through it, sending love and relief.

Slowly, the man in front of her lifted his head, his eyes opening, blinking before falling on her in recognition. His smile stretched wide and familiar. "First face this face sees once again, Rose Tyler." He said, and the tone of his voice, while she was sure hadn't changed as John, was all Doctor now.

She smiled, tongue between her teeth. "First face you'll always see, if I had it my way." She managed to choose from the dozens of things she wanted to say, knowing that he was hearing them in his mind anyway.

"Precious girl," He said before pulling her to him, hand in her hair as he bent down to give her a sweet, loving kiss. As her hands slide up his chest and around his neck, he moved his down so his arms could encircle her, picking her up and spinning her around a second before trying to kiss her deeper.

A throat cleared, and they broke apart.

"Yeah, hate to interrupt," Tim's voice said, and Rose turned to see the teenager smiling slyly. "But we humans have this thing about PDA, and it's grossness. Also, there's aliens bombing the city."

"Right you are, Tim." The Doctor said, bouncing away from Rose. "Now let's see," He said as he patted himself down. "Ah, yes, everything where I left it. Brilliant. Time to go put a stop to the family, then."

"Need help?" Rose asked.

"Nah," The Doctor waved it off. "Don't need help with this one. You and Martha just get ready to leave and I will take care of the family. See you outside in the parking lot in about, oh, I'd say an hour." He said before darting out the apartment. A second later he came back in. "Oh, one more thing." He said before kissing her again quickly. "I missed you, too." He said, and then left the apartment once more.

She heard someone come up beside her. "So, he's an alien." Tim said.

"Yep," Rose said, popping the 'p'.

"Are you an alien?" He asked, and she turned to see him looking her over.

"No, I'm human." She said with a grin. "With some modifications."

"So, you're telling me the one role model I had in my life is an alien who macks on human girls, and is actually as bad ass as that journal and my, I dunno, thought things said?" Rose arched a brow. "Damn." Tim finished, and Rose chuckled.

A door slammed shut behind them, and Rose turned to see Martha's bedroom door closed.

"Need help with anything?" Tim asked as the awkwardness finally hit home.

"You can help me get these pictures out of the frames." Rose said, gesturing to the photos around the room. "We can leave the apartment like this, but in this year, back in London, I'm a missing person. When we abandon the flat, I can't have them think I was here." She said, and Tim nodded before helping her get to work.

It was kind of amazing to Rose how Tim didn't ask any questions about what she meant, or what happened. Even if he did have a level of understanding, both from what he read in the Doctor's journal and what he gained from his sixth sense, she was sure he would talk her ear off. Instead, they finished collecting the pictures and put them in a neat bag. With no time to restore the frames to where they were supposed to be, Rose and Tim left them in a pile before she went to change.

As her door closed, she heard Martha's open, the apartment door opening shortly after, not being closed.

Back in her jumper, jeans, trainers, and jacket, Rose took the bag she had brought with her from the TARDIS out of the room.

"So where'd Martha go?" Tim asked, throwing a thumb toward the open apartment door.

Rose slipped the pictures inside the virtually empty bag. "Wanna see?" She asked, getting Tim's face to light up.

They left the apartment, closing the door behind them but not locking it. In a few days the rent would be due, and when no one paid it the landlord would be by. It didn't matter if anything was stolen, the important things were with her.

As they left the building, the grinding sounds of the TARDIS materializing came from around the corner, the shuddering thud of it fully forming causing a smile to come to Rose's face.

As she and Tim turned the corner, Martha was already heading inside.

"Seriously?" Tim said skeptically.

"Come see," Rose said, gesturing for the young man to follow her.

The doors pushed open with ease, and the second she stepped inside she was greeted with a happy, overjoyed hum and a brush on her mind that made Rose think of hugs.

"Oh, I missed you too!" Rose said, caressing the walls of the ship fondly.

"Holy Shizzle it's bigger on the inside!" Tim said, looking around before he realized what he said. "Wait, Shizzle? Why did I say shizzle. I meant shizzle. Hey, why can't I say shizzle?"

"Language," the Doctor said, coming out from the other side of the Time rotor. "TARDIS will translate virtually every language in the universe, but the old girl is not too fond of swearing. Well, at least most, and certain circumstances, you know." He rambled, hands in his pockets as he smiled at Tim.

"So, this is all real." He said, looking around the ship, moving up the ramp, running his hand along the console edge.

"Oh, she likes you." Rose cooed.

Tim froze, eyes shifting around before he grinned. "Yeah, I'm getting that now."

"So what are you going to do with us?" Dean's voice asked sharply, and Rose looked to see the four of them chained together near the jump seat and looking utterly pissed off.

"Oh, I have something in mind for you." The Doctor said darkly, stalking toward them and pausing at the console. He flipped the switch, and whirring wheeze of the TARDIS traveling filled the air. As it landed with a thud, the Doctor moved a few feet closer, staring down the family. "On your feet." He demanded.

"The storm," Tim murmured to Rose, watching the Doctor with awe as the Time Lord waited for the family to struggle to stand up.

"Now move." The Doctor commanded, and as he followed the family as they shuffled toward the door the storm was indeed brewing in his eyes.

"Come," Rose gestured toward the doors as the opened on their own to allow the family to leave.

They stopped a little ways away from the TARDIS, and Rose and Tim stayed closest to the ship while the Doctor stood between the family and them.

"This is where we found you," Dave said, flabbergasted.

"A planet with no life forms to drain," The Doctor noted, his head moving about as if he was examining their surroundings. "And here you will stay, with no ship or vortex manipulator to escape with. No one will come here, not for a few decades. A quarantine is already placed on the planet, the deadliest virus any race has will be flagged as being here, and no one will dare venture. By the time it's lifted you should all be dead, dust, the bodies you so brutally used decaying."

"You wouldn't do that," Vikki challenged.

"Oh I considered doing much, much worse." The Doctor said, taking a step toward them. "Placing you in mirrors, chucking you out in to supernovas, suspending you in time. Punish you to live forever like you want, but in misery. Because you are senseless parasites who don't deserve the slow death of natural causes, you deserve to suffer. But that pink and yellow human over there, the one that could have killed you all and didn't, she's the reason I'm leaving you here. Because she taught me to be better. And trust me, this is better." And with that, the Doctor turned away, striding up to them and turning them around. He put his hand in Rose's, and she noted that he put his hands on Tim's shoulder blades as he guided them inside.

When the doors were shut, the Doctor put the TARDIS in the vortex, giving himself a moment or two before he lifted his gaze and looked to Tim with a manic grin.

"You were just on a different planet." He pointed out.

"Guess I was," Tim said with a smile as the new reality set in.

"Breathed in different air, took in a different horizon. You could do it again if you want." The Doctor shifted a little. "So, what do you say?" The Doctor said as he moved to stand next to the young man. "You and I, we got to know each other. I mean, I was John, I guess, but John was still me."

"Yeah," Tim said slowly.

"How about you come with us? One trip, or two or three? If Rose is okay with that of course?" The Doctor said, looking to Rose apologetically.

She grinned, shaking her head in amusement. "Of course."

Tim's fingers grazed the console. "I want to, so bad. Get away from that freaking excuse for a life and just do something awesome." He sighed, shoulders falling as he met the Doctor's eye. "But I can't."

"Why not?" The Doctor asked, crossing his arms.

Tim looked to his feet. "Something really big is coming. It's a couple years off, but if I'm with you then I won't be where I need to be when it happens." He looked to Rose. "And I _need_ to be there."

A bolt of something like fear shot through Rose, and she swallowed past the tightness in her throat. Tim smiled weakly after a few seconds passed before whipping his head around, hair flying out of his face. "But hey, ask me again, in, like, three years." He added, and Rose moved to the console to return the TARDIS to the parking lot of her former apartment building. The TARDIS whirred and wheezed, landing smoothly.

"You know, maybe we will." The Doctor smiled, nodding once before standing and offering Tim his hand. Instead, Tim formed a fist, and upon recognizing the gesture corrected his own to bump knuckles with Tim.

"Wow, you're freaking cold. Like, wow, actual alien weird shizzle." He looked around the ship one more time. "Nope, I'm out. No one censors me. See ya later Doc, and especially you, Wolf Girl." Tim called over his shoulder as he strode down the ramp and out the TARDIS.

The Doctor ran around the console, put in some coordinates, and sent the ship to their next destination.

"Heading somewhere, are we?" Rose asked, noting how the Doctor was concentrating a little too much on the panel.

"Oh yes," He said, a smile pulling on his lips.

Rose nodded as she felt the shudder of landing, and the TARDIS's excited hum buzzed through her mind.

"Where's Martha?" She asked, starting to feel a little nervous with the way her two favorite beings in the Universe were starting to act.

"I dunno," The Doctor replied honestly. "I don't think she saw me when she came in. Headed straight for the corridor. But that doesn't matter now, because we, Rose Tyler, are going to step outside those doors just me and you."

He came around and snatched her hand, pulling her eagerly toward the doors, allowing her to pass through first.

And instantly she was colder, the snow of Woman Wept falling lightly around her.

"We need to take a breath, do we?" Rose asked as he came up beside her. "Are you angry about the bracelet? About not having the watch handy? What did I screw up?" She rambled.

"Nothing." He said sincerely, and she looked up into his excited, warm brown eyes. "Technically if either of us did something wrong in those times, it was me. But I think we can both say I wasn't myself." He grinned manically. "But you once said that this was our place to just be us, where we could have a moment without hiding in the TARDIS. And Rose Tyler, I want a moment." He said as as he looped his arm around her and brought her around to face him.

"Do you?" She teased.

"Oh yes," He said, his grin not faltering for a moment. "Because there is something I've wanted to give you for such a long time. Picked it up on that little asteroid market right before we went to see your mother for the last time. I didn't know when I'd ever give it to you, or how, I just hoped that I would." He reached into his blazer pockets, and Rose watched as he pulled out a simple looking, pink gold ring. Her mouth went dry. "You and I have been through a lot, and there are so many hints that there's more to come. But after Canary Wharf, after almost losing you, I realized I would be daft if I let things continue the way they were, and while it's all gone a lot faster than I expected, I wouldn't change it. You have my hearts, Rose Tyler. Forever."

"Doctor?" She managed to get out.

"This is a promise, Rose." He said as he picked up her right hand, then dropped it and picked up the left. Waves of nerves, excitement, love, hope, and fear crashed against Rose's mind as their skin touched, and it made her more dizzy than she had been when it was just her heart pounding in her chest. She could barely breathe, but it was all for the best. "A promise that for as long as your forever is, I'll be yours. That even when that forever ends, I will never belong to anyone else. I'm not asking you to bond with me, not yet. It's all still new, and I still want to take it slow in that I want us to be comfortable with what we have and are now before we go any further. But this is me saying that I will, without a doubt, ask you someday. Probably in the next decade."

Rose giggled as she tried not to let the tears prickling her eyes to spill over.

"Are you going to put that on?" She asked cheekily.

He smiled wide, "If you want me to." She nodded, and as he glided the ring on her finger, her skin tingled pleasantly.

"Oh," She chuckled, bitting her lip.

"It's balamancinite, created on the planet Casarima. It's indestructible. Nothing, absolutely nothing can damage this metal. It's created to form to the wearers fingers perfectly, and once it's taken on the biological readings of the wearer it can not be removed by anyone but them." He explained. "That was the tickling you felt. It was the ring identifying its owner."

As it rested on the end of her finger, she felt it settle before she felt nothing at all. Like it wasn't there. "So not even you can slip it off?"

He shook his head. "Had to be very, very careful when I did the inscription," He said with a touch of pride.

Rose lifted her hand, catching the thin lines and circles in the light. "I recognize that," She said of the Gallifreyan writing.

"You should, it's on our door." The Doctor said. "Our names together."

"Does this mean I get to know your real name?" She asked, smiling though she knew what he was going to say.

"Not yet," He said. "But one day, I promise." He said, brushing his hand in her hair.

Rose nodded, and before anything more could be said he kissed her deeply. It felt good, the coolness of his lips and tongue moving in time with hers again. She ran her fingers through his soft hair, earning a satisfied moan from the back of his throat as their minds danced and sung against one another.

"You never kissed John like that," He noted against her mouth. "Never kissed him at all, really."

"He wasn't you, not really." She reasoned, returning to her lips to his a beat later.

"Rose," He said, breaking the kiss again after a few minutes. "We should head back inside."

"Yeah?" She asked, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth when she recognized the dark look in his eyes.

"Oh yes," he said. "I did say we would pick up where we left off, didn't I?"


	22. Blink pt 1

The unrequited in their love have a special talent for ignoring the things they don't want to see. Lingering touches and entwining fingers, longing gazes and secret smiles, signs of affection that are obvious to everyone but the one who doesn't want to believe. They can also make mountains out of ant hills, turning smiles of friendly affection into something more meaningful, that embraces say more than merely an appreciation for friendship. As Martha sat on her bed in the TARDIS, eyes puffy from crying and aching to shut in much needed rest, she was realizing she was part of the non-exclusive club of people who let themselves get too deep before seeing the truth.

It was one thing to watch John kiss Rose before opening the watch, the human version of a great man saying goodbye to the woman he loved. And Rose, Martha figured, was just letting the dreams she had of being with the Doctor play out to the end. She was sure that after the essence in the watch had finished working its way back into the Doctor, things would return to the way she thought was normal.

"First face you'll always see, if I had it my way," Rose had said, tears in her eyes and voice as the Doctor looked at her, seeming not to notice anyone else in the room.

"Precious girl," He said, and then he leaned in.

 _He_ leaned in. _He_ kissed Rose. And it wasn't just from relief, or in thanks. They fell in sync with each other as only lovers would be able to after time apart.

The Doctor rushed from the apartment without acknowledging her, and in her hurt and confusion Martha stormed into her room.

Why Rose? Why a girl who was so free with her affections, who flirted with any decent looking bloke who crossed their path? Why was she the one he kissed instead of her? And if that kiss had any implications at all, they had done so much more than that.

" _Because her scent is literally all over me."_ He had pretty much spelled it out for her before he turned himself human, but even then Martha's mind was finding ways to make what he said fit to her idea of what they were as a team and as pairs.

She didn't move. Not the three times the TARDIS landed and dematerialized, not when she thought she heard giggles and shuffling out in the corridor, not when the TARDIS seemed to try and alert her she'd been like that for hours.

Part of her was angry at them for not saying anything. How long had they been together, and why didn't anyone say anything? But mostly she was angry with herself, because she was a smart woman and she should have seen the signs. She should have noted all the little hints that came from their months of traveling together, but she simply hadn't wanted to.

And as she laid down on the bed she started to realize she had to ask herself why she was traveling with the Doctor in the first place. Was it because of him or the adventure? The rush and excitement of seeing new things or the rush and excitement his touch had given her?

She'd take her time, roll with the punches, see how things fell before she made her final decision. But for now, as it seemed entirely likely that the Doctor was somewhere in the TARDIS making love to a woman who didn't deserve it or him, Martha laid down and cried. For everything she thought she had and didn't, for how foolish and love sick she had been, and for realizing that despite it all she couldn't hate Rose.

* * *

 

"So you bought a ring before we ever even anything?" Rose mused with a smile, admiring the delicate engraving on the simple band.

The Doctor's lips trailed kisses up her back over her spin as she laid on her stomach, his fingers on one hand trailing up her body while the other had been playing with her gold locks. He brushed her hair aside so he could continue his trail up her neck and behind her ear. "As I said, it's a promise. I promised myself that I would tell you what you meant to me, before it was too late."

"Too late?" Rose asked, tilting her head to the side.

The Doctor slid off her, remaining as close to her as possible. "So many things were in flux." He said softly, brushing her hair lovingly. "I could see the time lines were splintering into a dozen possibilities around us, around you, and most all of them save one was us separating." She rolled on to her side, taking in the sincere sadness in his eyes. "Five seconds," He barely said louder than a whisper. "Five seconds was all the difference between you falling into the void and you hitting that wall. Had you not held on for those five extra seconds we wouldn't be here like this now."

She cupped his face, feeling the love between them flare as he closed his eyes and leaned in against the touch. "And what if I had fallen in? What of the ring then?"

"It'd be a reminder of how big of a coward I am. That I should have been brave enough to tell you how much you mean to me."

"You know I've always known, yeah? At least I assumed." She reassured.

"Not quite the same as knowing for sure, though." He said with a smile, followed by a long, lilting sentence that didn't translate but was felt intensely through their skin contact. Rose's breath hitched, and she closed her eyes against the intensity of it before sliding her hand down his neck and grabbing his arm. She rolled onto her back and pulled him with her, and without her saying anything they melted into one another.

* * *

 

She hadn't a clue how long they had been in their room, what with there being no day and night on the TARDIS. She slept when it was too hard to stay awake, and when she woke up the Doctor would have a tray of food waiting for her. Not once did the old girl try to pull them from their happy bubble, but eventually they left it. As much as it felt like the whole Universe was in their bedroom, both knew it extended beyond that.

"I hope Martha's alright," Rose said as they arrived in the console room and the lady in question was no where to be seen.

"Oh, TARDIS will have taken care of her while we were, uh, catching up." The Doctor said, avoiding eye contact as his ears turned bright red.

Rose smiled, biting her lip as she leaned against the console. "I'm sure she would have," She said, giving the console a gentle stroke.

The TARDIS hummed contentedly, but she also sent Rose a frown as if she was concerned about something.

"Ah! Martha!" The Doctor said excitedly, and Rose glanced to see he was beaming at the corridor. "Are you ready for another adventure?"

"Suppose," She said, barely looking at him as she moved to the jump seat and wrapped her arms tightly around herself.

Rose glanced at the Doctor who looked clueless as to why Martha was so solemn. She never thought to ask him in the time they were locked away what he remembered from his time as John. He hinted that he remembered kissing Martha, she knew he remembered that they didn't really have any intimate interactions, but he didn't acknowledge John saying that he loved her. Or Martha saying she loved him.

"Anywhere you want to go?" Rose asked carefully, trying to convey to Martha that she understood why she was so morose.

"Not particularly." Martha said evenly, meeting Rose's gaze with a glare that quickly softened.

"Random, then!" The Doctor said, hoping around the console. "Love random, me. Never know where you're going to land." He pressed buttons and flipped switches as Rose sat beside Martha who hugged herself tighter.

The TARDIS whirred and shook about, landing with thud that had Rose and the Doctor stumbling backward into a rail. "Rough landing." He said with a grin before grabbing his long coat off the rails and running for the doors.

"You alright?" Rose asked, knowing the answer already.

"Yeah, fine." Martha said curtly before standing and following the Doctor out the doors.

And there it was, after hours or days of bliss, Rose crashed. She shouldn't feel bad, she knew, as what they were started before Martha ever came on board. But crushed hope was the worst feeling, and part of Rose realized that maybe if she and the Doctor hadn't been so utterly private Martha may not be in the state she was in right now.

With a heavy sigh, Rose grabbed her leather jacket and stepped outside.

"A house?" She said as she gazed up the magnificent structure in front of her. "Or mansion, suppose. Gorgeous."

"It's all run down, dilapidated. How can you say it's gorgeous?" Martha asked as she stepped around some fallen rock from a wall in the garden.

"Look at it," Rose said as she hopped over the stone and fell in step with Martha. It's old and broken, sure. Just needs a proper fix-up, 's all. Give it a lil love, repair what's broken."

"And you know all about that, don't you?" The Doctor's voice came from around the corner of the mansion.

"'N' I bet your so far ahead 'cause you're running scared from the domestic." Rose teased back, turning the corner to see him checking out a door.

He gave her a sly grin, "Not like we're moving in."

"Why are we still here?" Martha asked, ending the tiny bit of flirting that was transpiring.

"Feels off," The Doctor said as he removed his sonic and unlocked the door. "Don't know how, not yet." He stepped inside.

Rose glanced at Martha who merely shrugged, arms still wrapped pretty tightly around herself as she moved to follow the Doctor.

In the corner of Rose's eye, something moved. She whipped her head around, noting the cluster of trees near a small barn and a statue of an angel lamenting not far from it. She glanced around the garden, looking for signs that maybe someone was buried there, but nothing else about the property stood out. She glanced back at it, and she thought it looked a little different than it had before but she couldn't put her finger on how. With one last narrowed gaze, Rose went inside to find the Doctor and Martha.

Inside was just as lovely as the outside, if not a little outdated. It appeared to be something right out of the Victorian era, interior wise, and as if it had been at least that long since anyone took care of it. With her footsteps echoing in the room, Rose walked up to the Time Lord as he inspected a graffiti word beneath sagging wallpaper. _Be._

"You know what's odd," he said as he studied it. "That looks like my writing."

"How you mean?" Rose asked.

"The strokes." He said, lifting his hand and showing Rose as he mimed taking a marker to the wall.

"Yeah, but you're looking at an outline." Rose said, trying to reason.

"Not so sure." Martha said from off to the side, lifting the bottom corner of the wall paper. She looked to the Doctor, "Remember that girl? Sally Sparrow? The one we ran into when we stopped the migration?" She asked.

"What? When was that?" Rose asked, looking at the Doctor.

He waved it off. "We were fighting and the TARDIS wouldn't let me know where you were. Otherwise not important. What's Sally Sparrow have to do with anything?" He asked Martha, striding toward her.

"Didn't she say we'd end up in 1969?" Martha asked, her eyes showing her worry as she showed what was beneath the wallpaper. His eyebrows hit his hairline.

"Oh," he said.

"What?" Rose asked, coming up beside him and stopping short at what she saw. "Love the Doctor, 1969?" She read out loud, before turning slowly toward him and crossing her arms.

He gapped at her. "Well I haven't written it yet!" He defended, his voice going higher. "Who knows what else I wrote under there. Maybe it's a code for something, I dunno."

"Have you got the folder with you?" Martha asked, and he turned back to her.

"Yeah, kept in my coat pocket just in case." He said as the sound of something rolling on the floor upstairs drew Rose's attention. A pause, and then something falling down the stairs in the side hall.

"Don't think we're alone here," Rose said as she stepped past them both.

Heading up the stairs to the second floor, Rose glanced around the empty corridors. With the option of left or right on the second story, Rose chose left. She peeked inside the empty rooms where there was hardly any furniture and any that was there had been coated in a thick layer of dust. She peeked inside a bathroom, taking in the large tub and the antique looking faucets. It really was a beautiful home, smaller on the inside though, and she had to chuckle at that.

She heard Martha's and the Doctor's footsteps coming up the stairs, and she turned to leave the bathroom. "Doctor!" She called out, moving down the hall, "Doctor, over …."

The world spun and in a blink Rose was on the ground in a parking garage. The cars looked older, all of them. Classics as Mickey would call them, and she focused on them as she got her self adjusted. Standing slowly she strode carefully over to one of them, noting that it was overcast outside when before it had been a clear day. What the hell happened?

Peeking inside the car, there were no modern upgrades, not even the radio, and on the passenger seat was a newspaper. _April 2nd, 1969._

"What? Rose gripped the side of the car to prevent herself from falling over yet again before she heard a whoosh behind her.

Whipping around, she felt relieved to see Martha flat on her butt, catching her breath and looking dazed. Rose ran over to her, helping her up. "You alright?"

"Yeah, think so," Martha said, patting herself down. "My key's gone, though."

"Key?" Rose asked, and Martha nodded.

"My TARDIS key. I had put it on a string for the meantime 'til I could get another chain. Gone now though." She said, looking around. "Where are we?"

"No where near the TARDIS," Rose replied as another Whoosh sounded beside them. She looked to where the Doctor popped into appearance, shaking his head and groaning before he noticed her.

"Oh thank Rassilon it was the same one," He said, yanking her into his arms for a tight hug before he pulled Martha in with her. "All together then."

"Same one? Whaddya mean?" Rose asked as Martha detangled herself from them.

"Angels, weeping angels. Creatures from another world that kill you by sending you to the past and feeding off the days you should have had." The Doctor explained loosely. "I heard you talking and then you stopped, and when I saw the stone hand, I just knew. But then Martha went to see where you were, and another angel came after she vanished. I didn't know, not for sure, but I had hoped we'd end up in the same time period. Where are we, anyway?" He asked, looking around.

"1969," Rose replied. "Saw a newspaper in a car."

"London?" He winced, and she nodded. "Oh, why did it have to be London?" He groaned, holding his head.

"Just like Sally said." Martha said as she looked around. "So what are we going to do until we get the TARDIS back?"

"Going to have to make due here." He said, the cringe as evident in his voice as it was here. "Ugh, carpets, and doors."

Rose snorted, and he shot her a glare that only made her laugh harder.

"What's so funny?" Martha asked, confused and annoyed all at once.

"Doctor has to do domestics," Rose laughed a little harder.

"Isn't he already doing that with you?" Martha said evenly, but the jab was still felt, and Rose stopped laughing.

Martha turned and started heading out of the garage, and the Doctor looked to Rose. "Something we said?" He asked uneasily.

"More likely something we didn't say," Rose replied gently, taking the Doctor's hand and letting him lead them out the same way Martha went.

* * *

 

Letters, photographs, and notes were strewn across the picnic table in the park as the Doctor examined everything from the purple plastic folder he had pulled from his trans dimensional pockets.

"Okay," he said, his face scrunched up and his glasses on his nose. "Good news, I don't _think_ we're going to be stuck here as long as you two had to relive 2005." He said.

"Bad news?" Martha asked.

"We're likely going to be here for more than a day." The Doctor said slowly as he took off his glasses. "Maybe even longer than a week. Possibly about a month. Sally was thorough, very. And in doing so she recorded any bit of information she could. We're apparently going to stumble across a man named Billy Shipton, but according to Sally's notes he didn't get here until the 28th."

"So definitely a month then." Martha groaned.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that." The Doctor said, looking back down at the papers. "You two will probably have to get jobs. And we'll need to find a place." He said before groaning. "That part I might be able to take care of. Just …." He stood up, looking around, getting a sense of where he was. "There's a cafe over there," He gestured across the park. "Just on the other side of the road. You two meet me there in an hour, hour and a half, tops." He said as he gathered all the papers and photos in one swoop and placed them back in the folder.

"And where are you going?" Rose asked in a huff.

The Doctor, who was already trying to escape, stopped. "I have to go see someone about something that I really don't need you there for." He said guiltily.

"Ex girlfriend?" Rose asked, more teasing than annoyed.

The Doctor smiled. "Nope, she wasn't with me quite yet." He said with a wink before taking off.

Rose furrowed her brow, watching him run as she tried to figure out what he meant.

"What is he talking about?" Martha asked.

"With him? Who knows," Rose replied as she got to her feet. "Might as well take our time, yeah? Don't know about you but I doubt I have any quid that would get by here."

Martha nodded, getting to her feet and resuming her earlier posture of holding herself. Rose dug her hands in her pockets, and the two walked slowly toward the spot the Doctor directed them too.

Sticking to the paths of the park actually allowed the girls to kill an adequate amount of time, but the Doctor wasn't inside the cafe when they arrived. Not wanting to sit down and not be able to buy anything, they agreed to wait outside, leaning against the exterior of the building and checking down the road for any sign of the Doctor.

Both were startled when the yellow roadster pulled up, and Rose's eyes instantly met with the blue ones of an older man dressed like a magician.

She smiled, chuckling to herself as she recognized those eyes regardless of the body. As the current Doctor climbed out with an old looking briefcase in hand, thanking the other Doctor for his help as he walked around the back of the car with a manic grin. The other Doctor drove off, turning right at the intersection.

"That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." The Doctor said, quite pleased with himself. "Willing to help so long as I promised not to go anywhere near U.N.I.T. or anything alien related for the time we're stuck here."

"Is that so?" Rose asked, smiling with her tongue between her teeth. "Worried about what might've happened if I was there with ya?"

"Yes and no," the Doctor said, tilting his head from side to side as he headed for the cafe door and pushed it open with his bum. "Was more worried about the tie up there would have been had you accidentally brushed hands or something. There'd be questions, and concerns, and I didn't see the need to put you through that. Now, let's have a quick nibble then get a flat. You two will also need to find some clothes to fit the era, and I need to get to work on some stuff."

"Flat? Clothes? 'Sxcuse me, we don't have any money." Rose pointed out as she and Martha moved to a booth and scooted in on the same side.

"Don't worry, it's covered." The Doctor said, reaching out across the table and stealing Rose's hand.

Instantly she was bombarded with visions of the Doctor explaining the situation to his other self, how he carefully avoided referring to Rose as anything but more than a companion. How his previous self withdrew enough money for them to find a furnished flat for a month or two, as well as get by until the girls found jobs.

Rose blinked, and the images were gone as the waitress came over to take their orders.

As they ate, they searched listings in the papers, finding a few flats in London close by to a few places looking to hire shop girls. After they finished their meals, the three of them set out to procure one of the two bedroom flats, and then a couple outfits for the girls to start their job hunts the next day.

"So, I assume you two will have no problem sharing a room." Martha said coolly as they looked around the simple dwelling they were given the keys to. "I think that one had the bigger bed so you should take it." She then turned to the smaller of the two bedrooms and went inside, closing the door roughly behind her.

"It's going to be a long month," Rose sighed as she plopped down on the somewhat uncomfortable sofa. The Doctor came around, sitting next to her, putting his feet up on the coffee table.

"She didn't know, did she?" He asked quietly.

"She loved you." Rose said softly, "probably still does."

"Martha didn't love me," The Doctor shook his head. "She only said that to John so I'd change back."

"No, I don't think she did. I've been telling you she's had feelings for you, and now she's just realizing they're all one sided. And what's more, she's got no where to hid except in that bedroom."

"Bedroom." The Doctor repeated thoughtfully, sighing. "No TARDIS sound proofing in a flat." He looked to Rose with general fear in his eyes. "We're going to have to be hands off."

She arched a brow. "Why's that?" She asked, tongue poking out the corner of her smile.

He smirked, looking her over. "You know why." He said smoothly, causing her to smack his chest. He laughed, but it didn't last. "Carpets. And doors. Windows with drapery. It's my worst nightmare come true."

"Least you have me," She offered the flimsy consolation.

He pulled her closer, kissing her forehead. "I do." He said with a sigh.

* * *

 

The tension came in waves, always withdrawing almost entirely before crashing down on them all over again.

The Doctor, true to his word of hating the stationary life, was also a colossal pain in the ass. The living space wasn't all that big to begin with, and it was made smaller by his using nearly every available surface to build what he would only call his "timey-wimey" detector, what ever that was. He was on Mark III, the first one nearly exploding in his hand when he first tried to use it and the second not being water proof enough for the rainy weather. He managed to get out during the day, though nearly got lost when he ventured to the estate they had been to when they disappeared so he could graffiti the wall. His restlessness was bad enough that Rose had to kick him out of bed twice already because he was keeping her awake. The only days he wasn't in a grumpy mood had been the couple days Martha had to work and Rose did not. It wasn't a mystery what the Doctor and Rose got up to during those days, and that's where their tension would recede only to have Martha's crash around them.

She was pleasant enough to live with, all things considering. As the days went on she became a bit more sociable, smiling more and being more like she was at the beginning of her journey with them. Then there would be a moment when Rose would say something about a bloke on the street in passing, or maybe the Doctor would be a bit more affectionate with her than normal, and Martha's mood would darken.

"How are we going to get back to the TARDIS?" Rose asked the Doctor as he walked her home from work.

"I don't know," He admitted, hand gripping hers tightly. "And I've only got another ten days to figure it out before we meet Billy. From the notes I have from Sally, he gets into the publishing business, and he puts the recording of me onto the DVDs. Easy, simple, get my hands on a autocue or the materials to make one, and we're good to go. But from there she says the DVD was inserted into the TARDIS to allow us to get back. Now, what did I put on that disc? Something that would program the TARDIS to come to us. Simple, easy, except it gives me a headache every time I start translating the codes to a basic alphanumeric language." He paused on the side of the road, looking around him and taking a deep breath. "When's Martha due back at the flat?"

"Supposed to get home not long after us." Rose replied.

"Don't call it that," He bit out.

"Call it what?" Rose asked.

"Home, don't call it home! The TARDIS is home, that's just a temporary living arrangement until we can get back to our home." He rambled bitterly .

"'Kay, s'alright." Rose tried to sooth, rubbing his arm. "Why'd you wanna know when Martha was coming home, err, arriving back to the flat?" Rose stumbled out quickly.

"She was going to bring me back a new part for the mark III," He said, and Rose groaned. "What?" he asked.

"I'm all for you scanning for alien tech, and the like, but you're making the flat nearly unlivable with that project."

"It's necessary!" The Doctor countered. "I've no idea where this Billy bloke is going to end up, and we know we need to find him. With the detector I can trace the fluctuation of particles associated with capsule-free time travel and locate him."

"Alright, fair enough. But why do you need to have all the pieces spread out?" She asked. "Can't it just, I dunno, be contained to the table?"

"How am I supposed to work on such a small surface?" The Doctor asked before pulling his hand out of hers so he could check the time. "We should've been back at the flat five minutes ago. Martha'll be there soon. Come on." He said, gesturing with his head toward the flat.

"You go on ahead," Rose said with a sigh. "After being in the shop all day, and knowing the chaos that's facing me in there, I just need a breather."

The Doctor arched his brow, looking at her incredulously. "This late at night in the dark? It's 1969, Rose."

"And last time I checked, women had freedoms and rights in this decade." She said with as much humor as she could muster.

"I'm aware, but you don't know…." He paused, his brows drawing together as he glanced around him. "You don't know what kind of dangers are lurking around the corners, hiding in the shadows." He said wearily.

She snorted. "I seem to remember taking a very effective martial arts class. Pretty sure I can handle myself."

"Rose," He said with aggravation.

"Martha'll be waiting." She reminded him. "Go, I'll be fine. S'just around the corner. I just need a mo'." She said, rubbing his arm.

He looked all around the area, his face darkening as he scanned everywhere. "Fine," He said, kissing her on the lips quite firmly for out on the street, even if there was no one around. He then turned sharply, thrusting his hands in his pockets and heading off down the street. Rose pinched the bridge of her nose, preventing the headache from forming as she once again felt that stupid crash of tension. It all had to end soon, something had to give. Between his mood swings and Martha's, Rose was starting to lose it.

"Could be a right ol' idiot sometimes." A voice said from behind her, familiar but strange all at once. Rose's breath hitched, the hairs on the back of her neck rising as she knew without a doubt who was behind her. Turning around slowly, she saw the tall, lanky silhouette leaning against a wall cast in shadows between two shops. "Putting up a fuss over nothing."

"Hello, Doctor." She said, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

Anticipation shot through her, and she steeled herself as the silhouette pushed off the wall. A heavier step echoed around her, and she took in the sight of brown boots stepping into the light before she shot her gaze up.

He had a different kind of confidence to his smirk than her current Doctor, less flirtatious and more cocky as he strode toward her. His hair was still brown, though a little lighter and longer, swept to the side just out of his green eyes. "Hello, Sweetheart." He said with genuine affection as he came closer to her. Instinctively she put her hands out and allowed them to slide up his chest to rest on his shoulders while his arms glided around her. He was masking most of what he was feeling, or maybe it was because he was out of her time line that it seemed that way, but she still felt the deep affection humming between them.

"What're you doing here?" She asked, unable to stop herself from smiling as she took in this new version. Still dressy, unlike how he was as John, though not a full suit. His waist coat suited this version, and she wondered for a moment if the lack of jacket was common place for him as she eyed the bow-tie with some amusement.

His smirk turned to a sheepish grin as she studied him. "I miss you." He said. "Wanted to be there for you in a time when I knew you would need some comfort. I asked the TARDIS and she took me here. Got to hear most of the conversation, which in hindsight was so incredibly pointless and stupid, and I really was far too protective of you in that incarnation. Then again I had almost lost you to the void, but that never stopped me from being a dolt. Not to mention the strong dislike for domestics. That never really goes away but that me and the one before seemed to hate it the most. Sorry, I'm rambling, you'll get used to it." He said, and Rose crinkled her nose in amusement.

"I meet you? Properly meet you when you change?" She asked, trying to be subtle in her curiosity.

The light in the Doctor's eyes told her he knew what she was fishing for. "You're still with me now." He said.

"Then how can you be missing me, hmm?" She challenged.

He smiled wide. "Rose Tyler, you know I wouldn't risk you seeing your future like that." He tucked her hair behind her ear, and the fact that the gesture felt like habit allowed relief to settle into her. "We just lost a pair of companions, and it was more difficult and sudden than usual. You and River went to break it to Jenny, and I just couldn't bare to see her hearts break." He said, and Rose could feel the waves of grief roll off him.

"I'm sorry," She said, pulling him closer. He gripped her desperately. "How long have I been gone?"

"A week." He said pitifully and she laughed. "It's the longest we've been apart in decades, don't laugh." He said into her hair, making her laugh harder. She felt him smile against her. "I knew you would make me feel better."

"Hope it's not just because I'm a past version." She said as she leaned back to look at him.

He shook her head. "No, it's because you're my Rose. And my Rose at any point in time would make me feel better."

She hummed happily, stroking the hair at the back of his neck. "So I take it you can't give us a lift back to our TARDIS then?" She asked.

"No, sorry. A circular paradox was set in motion here, and can't disrupt that. Also wouldn't do any good to get you back to your TARDIS and have you all forget how you got there." He said, running his fingers lightly up and down her back.

"I'm going to have to forget you." She realized sadly, trying to memorize his new eyes before he'd take the memory away.

He surprised her when he shook his head. "I'm crossing your time line as well as mine. You and I, Rose, we're … oh we are so much. You won't forget, you won't let yourself. Not entirely, but you won't be able to recall anything specifically. From what I remember, you said I was a fuzzy thought in the back of your mind."

She chuckled, "So how much time do I get with you before you become a fuzzy thought?"

He grinned. "I'll walk you to your door." He said, stepping back and offering her his hand. She took it, finding it satisfying that it fit just as well as it had in his other two bodies. "Made for you, Rose Tyler." He said, and she blushed.

"Still getting used to the whole telepathy thing." She said, gesturing between their heads with her other hand as they started walking.

"You do." He said as they moved through the virtually empty streets.

There were dozens of questions jumbling through her mind, all she knew she couldn't ask, and they stirred along side of this older Doctor's presence. He kept walls up around information he didn't want her to see, allowing only deep love and affection to flow out toward her.

"No," he said aloud as they stopped outside the front doors to her building, answering one the last questions that popped into her mind. "You barely look any different than you do now." He said as he pulled her toward him again. "Changed your hair a couple of times, your style is a little different, but you you hardly look a day older than you do now."

"How do I know you aren't lying?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow.

He laughed, shaking his head. "I won't show you."

"Fine." She relented. "So where do you plan to go after this?" She asked. "Find another me in the time line?"

"No, I think I'll join you and River after all. It has been a while since I've seen our daughter, and I do miss her." He said, and his eyes widened at the moment Rose's jaw dropped.

"Our what?" She asked.

"Sorry," He said, and before she could stop him he put her hands to her temples and everything went fuzzy.

Swaying a little, Rose closed her eyes against the caress of the future Doctor's fingers in her hair. She tried leaning into it, but couldn't decide which side. "Sorry, were you saying something?" She asked, and he laughed in his throat.

"Distract you, did I?" He teased.

"Yep," She said popping the 'p' and getting him to laugh a little more. "So where do you plan to go after this? Find another me in the time line?"

"No," He said. "I'm going to wait for you to call me, let me know you're ready to leave."

"Don't get too lonely." Rose said, brushing his cheek.

"Promise." He said.

He started to lean in and paused, searching her eyes as if he was possibly wondering if it was okay. She answered him by closing the gap, finding the kiss to feel so familiar and yet different in it's habitual feel. How much older was this Doctor that it truly felt like this had been happening for centuries, where it had only been months for her? He didn't groan in the way the current Doctor had when her finger's scratched his scalp. Instead, he moaned as if it was comforting. He held her like she was precious, but not like she could be pulled away from him at any moment. He was used to her, but not in a bored way as she often worried he would be, and that made her sigh with relief in their kiss. He chuckled in his throat, smiling against her lips before pulling back.

"Trust me," he said in a deeper voice than he had before. "I never get bored of you."

"Good." She said, hearing the building door close.

"A very interesting discussion is waiting for you upstairs." He said in a friendly warning.

"Is there?" She asked and he nodded. "Well, best get up there, yeah?"

He shrugged. "Guess so." He said mischievously. "I'll see you in a few minutes." He said, stepping back a bit.

"See you in a few years?" She asked, and all he did was wink before giving her another quick kiss and turning to leave.

She watched, appreciating how even in the future he still managed to find pants that complimented his perfect arse, even if they did run a little short. She liked the curve and width of this body's back, and wondered absently if that mole was still between his shoulders. He may no longer be a pretty boy, as his ninth self would say, but she found this one attractive in a different way.

Getting out her keys, she headed into the building and ran up the stairs, making her way to their flat only to hear Martha's voice raised with a high pitch.

She opened the door, seeing the Doctor looking confused and like he was about to explain something, and Martha whirling around to stare at her coldly. "Tell him." She demanded, taking Rose aback. "Tell him I'm not lying."

"'Bout what?" She asked, genuinely confused.

"That you were just snogging some other bloke downstairs." Martha said as she crossed her arms.

Rose's eyes fell to the Doctor's, and she could tell by the look on his face that this was not the first mention made of it. The kiss hadn't been that long, or at least she didn't think so, and for the Doctor to be that jealous looking, Martha must have described his future self to him. Rose tried to recall him, but she couldn't really. He was just sorta fuzzy.

The Doctor swallowed, glancing at Martha before taking a deep breath. "Why was I here?" He asked with a resigned tone.

Rose smiled sadly, understanding exactly what he was doing. "We just lost someone," She said in way of explanation. "You were upset, and you missed me." She said with a shrug.

"That far into the future then." He said with a slight catch in his throat. "Wait, we?" He asked, his brow furrowing. "How could it be 'we' if I was missing you?"

"I was visiting someone, I guess." Rose said, moving to him as he opened his arms to her. "I think you told me who, but I must not have been paying attention."

"Or I made you forget." The Doctor smiled warmly, pulling her close. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied resting her head over his left heart.

"Seriously?" Martha's voice broke the comforting moment. "I tell you she's down there snogging another bloke and you _comfort_ her?"

"Martha," Rose said cautiously, stepping away from the Doctor. "He was …."

"No, Rose, let me." The Doctor said, squeezing her shoulder before turning to their companion. "Martha, remember when I was infected by that sun, and you had to freeze me? I was rambling about something starting?" He asked. Martha didn't ease her tense posture, crossing her arms and nodding at him while shifting her gaze darkly to Rose. "Well," The Doctor resumed as if he was trying to calm a feral beast. "What happens when a Time Lord is dying is we change every single cell in our body. We look different, sound different, maybe even act a little different, but we are still the same person. The man you saw downstairs? He was a future me."

"What?" Martha said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"It was the Doctor, Martha." Rose said gently.

"No it wasn't." She said adamantly. "It … it couldn't be."

"I could sense him, Martha." He said. "Just like when we were on the Cupla ship."

"What?" She asked, her arms dropping.

"Nine? That was my previous body. That was who I was when Rose first met me." He explained. He then chuckled to himself. "Which is why I didn't believe you when you said Rose was snogging me because I didn't remember it at first. Had to lock the memory away. Much like, I'm willing to bet, future me just did to Rose if she's forgetting details."

Martha stared, tears in her eyes, watching the couple in front of her. "So, let me understand this. You die, and become some entirely new bloke."

"Yep," he popped the 'p'. "Rose knew, obviously. So if the sun creature had killed me on that ship, or you did by accident with the freezing, she wouldn't have been as taken aback."

"And when you were John?" She asked slowly, eyes falling on the floor.

"I was partially me." The Doctor said. "Sort of the opposite of the regeneration process."

"So when you were saying you were traveling with the Doctor back in 2005, and I corrected you…." Martha choked on her words. "Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you tell me?"

"'S not my thing to tell." Rose said sympathetically. "The Doctor doesn't talk about it unless he has to. When he changed, I didn't know what was happening, and I was scared and didn't understand at first."

"And now there's another you out there?" Martha said, pointing to the door.

"Actually," The Doctor winced. "Technically if the older me is still here, which I doubt he is, but if he were there would another two of me out there. My third self, who was stuck here working for UNIT, he'd be other too. He's the one who helped us out when we got here."

"How many of you are there?" Martha asked. "Wait, no. On the Cupla ship you referred to yourself as ten."

"Yeah." The Doctor nodded.

"You've died ten times?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"Nine, actually." He corrected.

"Blimey that's so …," She said, heading to the couch and collapsing in the middle. "And you would have never told me this? Not unless it was about to happen, and possibly not even then?" She asked, not looking away from the TV across from her, though the screen was black. "You would have disappeared."

"Yes and no." He said evenly.

"I think I need some air." Martha said, standing and running for the door. It shut louder than either Rose or the Doctor were expecting, and they looked up at one another as the sounds of Martha's feet in the hall outside faded off.

"We should have said something sooner." Rose said, shaking her head as she stepped away from him. "When we met your other self, when we were dealing with Lazarus even. We should have been honest about everything before it came to this."

"I'm sorry, Rose, but I'm not about to tell someone I'm unsure will want to stay about regeneration. I wasn't even sure I wanted to tell you."

"But it's about more than that." Rose countered, heading to the kitchen and putting on the kettle. "I know, in the beginning, we weren't sure what this was, what we were, but something should have been made more clear to her that you weren't…."

"So this is my fault?" He asked evenly.

"No, 's not your fault, it's ours." Rose said immediately, returning to him and taking his hands in hers. "We should have been more clear from the beginning. We should have been a bit more open about what was developing instead of trying to hide it. We were quiet, and secretive, and Martha came to believe this meant she had a chance. Now she's hurt, and I remember what it's like to be hurt by you, Doctor. It wasn't that long ago. You know what I wanted to do?"

"You wanted to leave," He said, pulling a hand away from hers and ran it over his face. Rose nodded. "I'll talk to her when she comes back." He said as the kettle started whistling.

Neither made a move to get it right away, and it was with great effort that Rose finally managed to pull herself away from him to remove the thing from the burner. "Rose," The Doctor said as she turned off the burner but simply stood there. "Go sleep. You're tired, I can tell. I'll talk to Martha when she comes back."

Rose nodded. "If you need me," She said before she yawned.

"I'll get you." He assured, stroking her cheek before bending for a kiss.

She wasn't sure why, but she felt like she should have been making comparisons like she had when she kissed his former body. But had the older version of him kissed her? She couldn't remember.

"You're going to give yourself a headache trying to remember." He said against her lips. "Go to bed."

"'Kay," She said, knowing not to stir the storm with teasing. She headed for their bedroom, seeing the bed that wasn't really theirs and decided it looked too inviting not crawl in it.


	23. Blink pt 2

Every corner Martha turned she was hoping to glimpse that tall, lanky man that had been snogging Rose. She wanted proof, real proof that he wasn't really the Doctor, that they both lied because she could get who ever she wanted, and the Doctor felt obligated to defend her. But no matter how much she wanted to deny it, she couldn't help believe it.

Their time on the Cupla ship all started to make so much more sense, and she was getting that it was likely his previous self that convinced Rose to stay with them. That when Rose was so insistent she couldn't leave with 'Nine' because he had to get her in the first place she wasn't just being a coward. And worse, she understood without a doubt that not only did Rose love the Doctor, but that love was unconditionally returned. She could be with any of his past or future selves, and it wasn't technically cheating because they were all the same person. She supposed, though, that it would be fair play for the Doctor to have done the same with Rose, and that's likely why she saw the snog in the first place. It was all, how did the Doctor explain stuff before? Wibbly Wobbly.

But with all that into consideration, the other thing Martha couldn't deny was that she loved him too, and when she saw Rose and the other Doctor in front of the building, she was eager to throw Rose under the bus. She had pictured telling the Doctor on her way up to their flat, imagined his heartbreak and anger. She could hear vicious words thrown around, and in the end she would have comforted him. Yet he was unperturbed, though maybe a little jealous when she described the bloke as "Handsome in a weird way", and now she knew why.

So what was there to do now? How much of this adventure through space and time did Martha place on her love for the Doctor? Enough that it wouldn't be fun anymore? Enough to want to leave?

One more trip. Once they get out of 1969, she would go on one more trip, then another, and she'd see if it was worth it. If traveling with someone she loved but couldn't have would make the scars on her heart a happy enough memory.

Heading back to the flat, she took deep breaths. One step at a time, one day after another, and one or two more trips to figure herself out.

She entered their dwelling, expecting to find the flat empty only to find the Doctor sitting in front of some kind of device made out of an old phone among other things. He looked up at her over his specks as she came in, and the two sort of stared each other down as she fumbled to get the door closed behind her.

"Kettle should still be hot." He said. "I can make you tea, if you'd like."

"That would be nice." She said evenly enough, and the Doctor nodded before setting aside his tools and the device. He went about making Martha's tea exactly how she liked it with fluid movements, making a cup of his own in the process.

"Have a seat on the sofa," He said kindly while avoiding eye contact. "We'll talk."

"Yeah?" Martha asked, unsure why this made her so happy.

"Yeah," the Doctor said as if talking was something he did all the time. Which, she supposed, it was but never about the important things.

She sat on the left side, watching him over her shoulder as he came around and handed her the mug of tea before settling in the opposite corner.

"Rose had warned me before, that maybe there was some miscommunication between what you thought might be going on, and what actually was. For that, I'm sorry. Martha, I never meant to lead you to believe that, well that's to say that I really didn't think you had feelings for me like that." Martha merely nodded, hoping he'd continue. "That's not to say I don't care about you, I do. Just not like that, and I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry that I broke your heart without realizing it."

Martha shrugged. "I guess." She muttered, taking a sip of her tea. "But it's just, how can you trust her? How can you trust a woman who flirts where ever we go?"

"Because I do." He said with a slight grin. "And I'm no better. That was pretty much the argument we had that almost had her leave. We hurt each other as much as we … well, as much as we don't. And it's new for me, all this. I've never cared about someone the way I care about Rose. Never had someone who would want to be with me for the rest of their life."

"Now you have two," Martha said without thinking, cringing as the pain swelled inside her.

It surprised her when he shifted to the middle cushion, putting an arm around her and pulling her down to his shoulder. Maybe this was him saying that had it not been for Rose then maybe, just maybe, there would have been something there. Martha knew, though, that this was just his way of saying what he couldn't find the words for. The face of Boe had said he was not alone, and she was becoming more convinced that this was what he meant. That the Doctor, no matter how alone he thinks he is, is loved by so many.

* * *

 

"Okay, autocue is all cued up, ready to go." The Doctor said as he made some adjustments to the tripod holding the camera. "It will automatically run, so you girls just make sure nothing goes wrong, got it?"

"Where did you get this anyway?" Rose asked, patting the top of the prompter lightly as she arched a brow, daring him to lie.

"May or may not have broken into a TV studio the other night." The Doctor said, tugging on his ear. "But it's really only borrowing it seeing as how I'm going to bring it back." He reasoned.

Martha and Rose exchanged a look, both refraining from rolling their eyes.

Time had been much kinder to them since the night when the future Doctor inadvertently (or maybe on purpose) offered the ice breaker to get all the secrets out in the open. Martha warmed back up, and she and Rose had finally returned to the friendly sort of relationship they had before they were last stranded somewhere. And the Doctor had actually got his detector gadget to work, happening to locate two unfortunate souls who were not Billy but were at the old Estate in 2007 the last time they blinked.

To him, they supposed, this meant it was now time to start wrapping things up.

"Alright," he said, as he put on his specs. "Here we go." He started the prompter, and took his place on the sofa.

Rose read the smaller screen as it went.

_He's the doctor._

"Yep, that's me." The Doctor said.

_Okay, that was scary. No, it sounds like he's replying, but he always says that._

"Yes I do."

_And that._

"Yep, and this."

"Blimey, this is a waste." Rose mumbled and Martha smirked, hiding it behind her hand.

_He can hear us. Oh my God, you can really hear us. Of course he can't hear us. Look, I've got a transcript, see, everything he says. Yep that's me. Yes I do. Yep and this, Next it's…._

"Are you going to read out the whole thing?" The Doctor read off, likely pretending he didn't notice the girls snickering.

_Sorry. Who are you?_

"I'm a time traveler. Or I was. I'm stuck in 1969."

"Oi, _we're_ stuck thank you very much." Rose said, eyes snapping away from the autocue to glare at him. "Not just you here in this flat, Mister. And I'd like to be back in our ship."

"Right," he said, smiling at her. "We. We are stuck in 1969." He continued.

Martha smacked Rose as the Doctor continued with the script, and Rose looked to the wide eyed girl beside her before looking where Martha was pointing on the screen. The text was already gone, but Martha was already picking up the paper transcript, flipping through it until she found what she was looking for.

 _Mystery woman: Oi_ we're _stuck thank you very much._

"That's just scary." Rose whispered, Martha nodding in agreement.

"Explains why Sally asked if I was glad to be home." Martha whispered back before they both turn their attention back to the Doctor.

"Not hear you, exactly. But I know everything you're going to say." A pause. "Look to your left." Another pause. "I've got a copy of the finished transcript. It's on my autocue."

The Doctor continued his creepy, one-sided conversation with a person thirty-eight years in the future for a while longer, explaining the angels and how they worked. When it was all over, Martha shut off the video camera.

"Now what?" She asked.

"Now, we wait. Tonight I'll return the autocue, then tomorrow we start our search for Billy. And hopefully, if all goes well, by tomorrow night we'll be back in the TARDIS."

"So you've written the codes?" Rose said as the Doctor came back over to the autocue and whipped the transcript from it. "You figured out the translations."

"Yes," He said as he typed. "Had to do something when you kick me out of bed."

"Oi, don't want to hear it." Martha growled.

"So that's it, then?" Rose asked. "But, wait, how … wait, never mind. I understand."

"Understand what?" The Doctor asked, removing his specs.

"Well I was wondering how the codes would help us at all, and how they were going to be put on the DVD. But then I realized that you said Billy gets into video publishing. By the time the DVD comes around, especially a DVD with digital enhancement that can only be unlocked with a computer, he'll have comprehensive knowledge on how to format such a DVD. He'd just need to drop the code into a read me text of some variety, have it hidden so deep in the files of the DVD that no one would notice it, and when it's in the vicinity of the TARDIS it would activate. Outside of that, should anyone find it, it would look like some sort of coding gibberish." Rose shrugged. "All makes sense, really."

"Does it?" Martha said slowly, and Rose realized they were both gapping at her. "Because that really didn't make all that much sense to me. I mean it did, but it didn't."

"Rose, how?" The Doctor managed to get out.

She considered it. "I have no idea. I know I was watching you write the code down the other night, but … I guess I just."

"Computed it in the back of your mind without realizing it." The Doctor shook his head. "I'm really starting to wonder if maybe we jumped the gun when we said we would stop running tests on you."

"Is this because of the thing you said you did?" Martha asked, pointing at Rose's head a moment before pulling her head behind her back. "Did it give you some sorta tech knowledge?"

"I think faster." Rose admitted.

"Right, well." The Doctor said, looking at everything but Rose as he gathered up the stuff around them. "Don't you two have jobs you need to get ready for. Especially since it's a good idea to let them know you'll be leaving soon?" And without another word, the Doctor walked away.

"Should we?" Martha asked sheepishly.

"Probably for the best," Rose nodded. And it didn't really matter what part of the Doctor's comment it pertained to, because Rose knew in her gut that he was right. The TARDIS was coming for them, and soon.

* * *

 

"This way," The Doctor said, the phone receiver held to his ear as he pointed with a finger on the hand holding his detector device. Rose was now refusing to refer to it by the name the Doctor gave it, feeling entirely foolish every time the words came out of her mouth.

"That's where we showed up," Martha noted as they ran into the parking garage that greeted them when they first landed. The Doctor's pace quickened, and Rose and Martha followed close behind, thankful to be out of the rain at least as they ran inside.

The Doctor was moving the device around, eyes narrowed as he tried to focus on the machine, though Rose heard the familiar whoosh around the corner and started toward it at the same time he device began to click and beep more until they spotted the winded looking man sitting dazed on the concrete ground, and the device dinged.

"Welcome!" The Doctor greeted cheerily as he ran over to the man, Rose close behind and hearing Martha's footsteps behind her.

"Where am I?" The man asked, looking at them all, his Caribbean accent heavy and unexpected.

"1969. Not bad, as it goes. You've go the moon landing to look forward to." The Doctor replied, trying to distract the poor bloke.

"Not that fantastic," Rose shook her head.

"Especially when you've seen it four times." Martha added in.

"Really, four?" Rose asked Martha. "He took you that often in a month?"

Martha shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Different view points apparently." She grumbled.

"How did I get here?" The man they were assuming was Billy asked.

"The same way we did. The touch of an angel. Same one, since you ended up in the same year." The Doctor replied as probably Billy started getting to his feet. "No, no, no, no, no, don't get up." The Doctor said as he set the device aside a moment to ease Billy back down. "Time travel without a capsule is nasty. Catch your breath."

"I don't. I can't." Poor guy looked to Rose and Martha. "I just got this girl's number. Hot, hot girl and now … 1969?"

"Oh yeah, it's Billy." Rose said with a smirk. The Doctor looked at her in confusion over his shoulder. "Was in Sally's notes. Said she gave Billy her number because she was seriously thinking of that drink."

"Oh," The Doctor said, eyebrows hitting his hairline. "Right." He turned back to Billy, who looked more confused than before.

"You know Sally Sparrow?" He asked,

"Sorta. We met, but briefly. She told me all this was going to happen." The Doctor replied. "Told me you would be attacked by the Weeping Angels right after she talked to you. "Fascinating race, the only psychopaths in the universe to kill you nicely. No mess, no fuss, they just zap you into the past and let you live to death. The rest of your life is used up and blown away in the blink of an eye. You die in the past, and in the present they consume the energy of all the days you might have had, all your stolen moments."

"But we're not staying here," Martha pointed out. "So how does that work?"

"We all have multiple time lines, multiple possibilities. They'd feed off the potential energy of the time line they disrupted. In theory, a person could be touched by an angel repeatedly, sent further and further into the past until they would simply disappear. But since the angels don't time travel themselves, the likelihood of that happening is, well, pretty unlikely. In theory, you could get touched by an angel once and still return to your normal life, provided that you have a way to get back."

"What in Gods' name are you talking about?" Billy asked, blinking and looking at the Doctor like he had two heads.

"Just go with it," Rose waved it off. "Best you just sorta smile and nod."

"How did you know, though? How did you know I was coming? That I'd be here?"

"Sally is our aid in the future." Rose explained. "She took notes of things as they happened to her, gave them to the Doctor before we got zapped back here. She told us you would appear on this date, because that's what you told her in the future."

"And I tracked you down with this." The Doctor cut in, showing Billy the device with pride. "It's my timey-wimey detector. Goes ding when there's stuff. Also can boil an egg at thirty paces whether you want it to or not. Learned to stay away from hens. Not pretty when they blow." He said as he eyed his machine dubiously.

"'Scuse me?" Rose said, hands on her hips. "Exactly when did you discover that?"

The Doctor pulled on his ear. "The night you said not to go out testing the machine at 2am." The Doctor admitted.

"Wait, go back. I see Sally again?" He asked, hopeful.

Rose and the Doctor exchanged a glance, and Rose looked over her shoulder to make sure Martha wasn't going to say anything.

"Not for a very, very long time." The Doctor said. "I'm sorry Billy, but even if we can get back, we can't take you with us."

"Why not?" He asked.

"It's complicated." Martha volunteered. "But on the upside, you'll have a flat for at least a month, longer if you want to keep it up."

"You could look at it as a fresh start." Rose offered. "Anything you wanted to do other than police work?"

"Not sure. Never thought about it." He admitted.

"Well," The Doctor stretched the word. "Have you ever considered publishing?"

* * *

 

The wait was excruciating.

Billy and the Doctor spent the afternoon discussing what would need to happen in the future, while Rose and Martha changed back into the clothes they had worn when they arrived and prepared for their departure.

Then they waited.

And waited.

It wasn't like it took days. The Doctor swore he wrote the program for the TARDIS to appear in the building parking lot on the day Billy arrived. He didn't, however, remember to program a time of day. So they ate when hungry, stretched when needed, but the three time travelers waited on the couch for that wonderfully familiar sounds of the TARDIS engine.

At one point, Rose drifted off with the hum of the Doctor's mind in hers as his fingers had been in her hair. And as she snoozed she had half dreams, mostly words and light with glimpses of something else.

 _Time lines. Splintering. Breaks. Don't understand._ Whispers in the Doctor's voice danced in a golden light like fireflies. _Can't see. So strange. Rose, Martha, something's coming._ A shadow stalked in behind the light, pacing back and forth as if it were hunting prey.

Happiness. Overwhelming happiness and love suddenly hit Rose's mind hard, and her eyes opened as the sound of the TARDIS engines pulled her from her dreams. Stirring, she sat up and saw Martha doing the same on the other side of the Doctor as she rubbed sleep from her eyes. They looked at each other before looking to the Doctor who beamed with glee.

"Are we ready to go home?" He asked without needing to. They all stood up, heading out the door and out of the building.

The TARDIS hummed gleefully as the Doctor sprinted toward where she was parked, surprising Rose that she could hear the old girl from so far away. As the Doctor worked his key into the lock, Rose threw her arms around the box, feeling the TARDIS's exclamations of happiness to be back with them.

"Do you two need some time alone with your box?" Martha teased as the Doctor got the door open.

Neither said anything, shuffling inside and smiling as the lights inside came on so much brighter.

"Back together again," Rose said as she ran up to the console, her fingers lingering on any surface she could reach until she got to the control panel.

"Right, so where we off to now?" The Doctor asked.

"Bed," Martha pipped up. "My comfy, fluffy TARDIS bed that doesn't have a spring poking at by back. But before that, a shower. No! A bubble bath so I can wash the smell of the sixties off. Then anywhere. When we all wake up, we can go anywhere in time and space."

"So that means you're staying?" Rose asked, taking Martha aback with the hope in her voice.

"Yeah." Martha said evenly. "I mean, if you two still want me around."

"Of course we do," Rose said, surprising herself as she ran over and gave Martha a tight hug. It was returned loosely, hesitantly, but returned nonetheless.

"Anywhere you want to go," The Doctor said as Rose stepped back out of the embrace. He hugged Martha as well, and Rose turned away so she wouldn't see how much the Doctor still affected Martha. Perhaps if it wasn't drawn attention to, it would fade off a little quicker. "The least we can do to make up for everything else."

When Rose heard Martha's footstep echo on the grating, she looked toward the sound and caught Martha's wave in time to return it before she disappeared down the corridor.

"And you?" The Doctor asked her as he sent them into the vortex. "We have about ten hours before Martha will be awake and ready."

"I know what you'd like to do," Rose teased as he inched toward her. "And while the idea is appealing, ten hours of it would be too much."

"Oh I tend to disagree." The Doctor replied with a smile as his hands fell on her waist.

"Yes, but you don't need sleep." Rose countered as her hands fell on his shoulders, her thumbs grazing his neck and catching the concern before he tried to tuck it away. "What's wrong?"

He sighed, shoulders sagging. "Time lines are starting to shift and become erratic. Sort of like they were right before Canary Wharf." He said quietly. "But this time I can't see them, not properly. They loop around and go all…."

"Timey wimey?" Rose teased in an attempt to comfort.

The Doctor stuck his lip out, moving his head from side to side. "More wibbly wobbly," He said with a thing smile. "But it's concerning."

Rose sighed, pulling him toward her and simply holding him. "We'll get through it. Together."

She felt him tense, and realized that he was closed off to her.

Rose debated for a moment on whether or not she should push the issue. She could demand to know, remind him they were supposed to be partners, but she also knew that he wasn't telling her for a reason. If time lines were in flux, it was probably best she didn't know what he saw as a precaution.

"Come on, let's go to bed." She said, stroking his back. "Once I fall asleep you can come out here and tinker to try and take your mind off things." The wall he put up suddenly vanished, and Rose was hit with waves of love and lust, paired with images that were anything but decent. "Okay," she said, her breath catching as her throat went dry. "We can do that too."

The Doctor laughed in his throat before picking her up by her bum. Her legs went around his waist instantly, fingers in his hair and lips on his. She heard the TARDIS giggle in her mind, something like a blush being evident as well, but the Old girl didn't stay there long after moving their bedroom door closer to the console room.

* * *

 

Rose sat on the jumpseat and watched the Doctor land the TARDIS. "Been a while since you've asked to fly," He noted curiously.

She shrugged one shoulder, bringing the mug in her hands closer to her mouth. "One shouldn't fly before their morning tea." Rose replied, looking at the Doctor over the rim as she sipped, eyeing him up as he put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the console.

"I don't even need to read your mind to know what you're thinking." He said with a grin.

"No?" She asked, arching a brow and hiding her smirk behind the white ceramic.

"You're thinking that last night wasn't long enough." He said cheekily, his chest swelling a bit.

"Actually, I was thinking that the scruff you have a hint of don't look too bad, and I really like the dark tie and shirt combo." Rose said as she lowered her mug. "Looks good."

"Still fond of the old classic then?" He asked, tugging at the hem of his brown, pin-stripped blazer. Rose hummed in ascent, and the Doctor beamed all over again.

"You're so fulla yourself." She said with a shake of her head.

Before the Doctor could stroke his own ego, Martha ran into the console room. "I felt the landing and came as quick as I could. Sorry, where are we?" She asked eagerly.

"Cardiff," The Doctor replied, his hubris returning to their normal levels.

"Cardiff?" Martha asked, looking to Rose to see if he was joking.

"'S just a refuel stop." Rose replied nonchalantly.

Martha looked between the two of them, confusion waring with disbelief. "Refuel? Like, filling up the tank?"

"Cardiff is built on a rift in time and space. Just like California and the San Andreas fault. The rift bleeds energy and every now and then I need to open up the engines, soak it up, and use it as fuel."

"Okay," Martha said with a single, slight nod. "But why didn't we go to California or San Andreas instead?"

Rose chuckled as the Doctor stood speechless, mouth moving around words that weren't coming, the panic of not having an answer come to him right away.

"Cardiff is near and dear to his hearts." Rose teased.

Martha furrowed her brow before a smirk came to her face. "Earthquake couple years ago, that was you wasn't it?" She asked knowingly.

The Doctor tugged on his ear. "Had some trouble with the Slitheen." He mumbled.

"But that's not what caused the rift," Rose explained. "It just ended up helping the TARDIS refuel faster. The rift was always there, but the first time we were really exposed to it was back in his previous body when we had some trouble with the Gelth."

"Ah," Martha said as if it perfectly explained everything.

"It was my previous body that was around for the earthquake, too." The Doctor said thoughtfully. "Actually, it's been that long since we've refueled. Guess it was time, wasn't it Old Girl?" He said, patting the time rotor.

But the TARDIS remained relatively quiet.

Rose sent her mind out to the ship, and all she got back was discomfort, and something reminding her of the heebie jeebies.

The Doctor must have gotten the same feeling, because he looked at the TARDIS controls with concern. "Finito, all powered up." He said in his distracted way, moving around the console and stopping short as he looked at the monitor.

"What is it?" Rose asked, suddenly seeing the personification of how the TARDIS was feeling in the Doctor.

"Nothing." He said, throwing the switch.

As they dematerialized, the console sparked and the TARDIS shook about. Martha and the Doctor were knocked to the floor, and in an effort to keep from falling off the jumpseat Rose practically threw the mug, causing it to smash against the grating.

"What's going on?" Martha asked as the Doctor struggled to his feet, gripping the monitor with both hands.

"We're accelerating into the future." He said unsteadily. "The year one billion. Five billion. Five trillion. Fifty trillion, what!?" His breathing started to get erratic despite his respiratory bi-pass. "The year one hundred trillion. But that's impossible."

"What is it?" Rose asked, trying not to panic.

The Doctor looked straight at her, and nothing in his brown eyes eased her worry. "The End of the Universe."


	24. Utopia pt 1

"Well, we've landed." The Doctor said when the TARDIS finally came to a stop, the old girl whimpering with fear and discomfort in Rose's mind. As she got to her feet she caressed as much of the time machine's surface as she could, trying to comfort her, attempting to send wave of love and reassurance to the old girl like she would the Doctor.

"So what's out there?" Martha asked nervously.

"I don't know," The Doctor replied with a lot of trepidation.

"That's an unsettling first," Rose said, feeling the TARDIS's appreciation of the attempts at soothing but was still unsettled.

"Had to happen eventually," The Doctor said, looking at the rotor, likely sensing exactly what Rose was. "Not even the Time Lords came this far. We should leave. We should go. We should really, really, go." He said.

"Should we?" Rose asked, and the Doctor answered her with a manic grin.

Snatching her hand, he grabbed his jacket and barely gave her a second to collect hers before they were running out the TARDIS door.

The cold, barren wasteland in front of them stopped Rose short. The end of the Universe, stands to reason that there wouldn't be much left. It was just so gray, no color anywhere. Not even on the body twenty feet away.

Rose's eyes snapped back to him, for it was a him laying there appearing entirely dead.

"Oh my God!" Martha cried as the TARDIS doors closed behind them, and then she was past them in a blur, kneeling down beside him. "Can't get a pulse," She called over. A second later she was back on her feet, running for the TARDIS. "You've got that medical kit thing." She said to the Doctor as she passed them.

Rose moved to the body, pulled toward him like a magnet. A subtle desire to protect him was coursing through her, and she was finding no will to fight it even as the Doctor tried to grip her hand tighter and keep her beside him. Eventually his fingers slipped from hers, and she jogged over to the man.

"Jack?" She breathed, falling to her knees. "Oh my god," the tears stung her eyes as she caressed his cheek, his hair, placing her head over his chest and wishing there was the sound of a heartbeat beneath her ear.

"Rose, come back." The Doctor said evenly, stopping short a few feet away.

"No," She said to him, shaking her head against Jack's still chest as she wondering why the Doctor looked ready to crawl out of his skin.

"Here we go," Martha said as she came rushing over. "Rose, what are you doing?" She asked, distrust in her voice.

"Being there for him." Rose replied, her fingers tracing Jack's jaw.

"A little much for a stranger," Martha grumbled, gently pushing Rose off of Jack.

"He's a friend of ours." The Doctor said, getting Martha's attention when Rose thought she felt the flutter of a heart as she got up. "Used to travel with us back when I was the other me. Must've been clinging to the outside of the TARDIS all the way through the vortex. Very him."

"So what you're saying is …." Rose started to accuse him when Jack cut her off by bolting upright with a gasp and grabbing on to her.

Rose yelped, but as Jack gained his sense, she couldn't help the smile that started pulling at her mouth as Jack's eyes filled with tears. Happy tears.

"Rosie!" He said, changing his grip to a tight hug, practically yanking her on to his lap as he laughed. "Oh my god, Rose, you're alive!"

"'Course I am, why wouldn't I be?" She asked when he finally let go.

"Canary Wharf. I saw the list of the dead, you were on it. So was Mickey."

Rose shook her head. "Lost Micks and my mum to a parallel world. They're safe, good, happy I suppose. But I didn't have any reason to go back and say that I was alive." She explained.

"I'm just so glad you are." He said with the widest of smiles before he noted Martha hovering nearby in shock. "Captain Jack Harkness, who are you?" He asked leeringly, and Rose promptly moved off and away from him.

"Martha Jones," She replied shyly.

"Nice to meet you, Martha Jones." Jack said as he offered her his hand.

"Oh, don't start." The Doctor said, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Doctor," Jack said coolly as he and Martha got their feet.

"Captain," the Doctor said, not unfriendly but with no trace of warmth.

"Good to see you," Jack said curtly.

"And you, same as ever." The Doctor replied. "Although, have you had work done?" The Doctor asked, eyeing Jack over.

He reached up and touched his face. "You can talk," Jack bit back.

The Doctor looked perplexed a moment before the understanding shone through. "Oh yes, the face. Regeneration. How did you know this was me?"

Jack snorted. "The police box kinda gave it away. And if that wasn't enough, seeing Rose sealed the deal. Shoulda known you'd have never let her die, let alone abandon her."

"Abandon?" Rose asked, "What's this 'bout abandoning?" She asked, looking between Jack and the Doctor, neither seeming to want to answer.

After a long stare down, the Doctor inhaled sharply and turned away. "Well, you're here. Might as well join us." He said as he led the way.

"Same as ever," Jack grumbled, looking to Rose sympathetically.

"Give him time to get over his Captain envy, he'll be fine." Rose waved it off as they all started to follow the Doctor. After a little bit, Rose put her hand on Jack's arm. "I almost went to see you a few months back. Well, months for us. We had a fight, and I was going to go back to help you rebuild the Earth while our tempers cooled."

"Rebuild the Earth?" Jack said to her before looking at the back of the Doctor's head. "Is that what he told you?" He asked accusingly.

The Doctor pulled on his reddening ears.

"You lied to me?" Rose growled, causing the Doctor to stop and turn slowly.

"I dunno. Jack, what did you do after we …."

"Left me behind ankle-deep in Dalek dust? I teleported out, tried to make my way back to the 21st century." Jack replied.

"Wait, teleported?" Martha asked.

"I used to be a Time Agent so I had this," he said, lifting his left arm and showing Martha who was at his side as well. She took his wrist in her hand, looking the device over. "It's called a vortex manipulator." Jack explained as he glanced back to the Doctor who had continued on. "He's not the only one who can time travel."

"Oh, excuse me!" The Doctor said as he started walking backwards a moment. "That's not time travel. It's like I've got a sports car and you've got a space hopper."

"Oh, ho, ho, boys and their toys." Martha remarked.

"Not a new argument for them," Rose sighed.

"Oi," The Doctor said at the same time Jack said, "Hey."

Rose rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You were saying, Jack?"

"Right, so, I bounced. Thought 21st century, best place to find the Doctor, except I got it a little wrong. I arrived in 1869 and this thing burnt out."

"Told you," The Doctor snorted tauntingly.

"Oi, you abandoned him. Not his fault he got out of there the only way he knew how." Rose growled back. "And don't think you're off the hook for lying to me, Mister." She scolded as her hand slide down Jack's arm and landed in his. "You're gonna hear it later."

"Hold on!" Jack stopped short, pulling Rose's hand up to his face and looking at it wide eyed. "What the hell is this?" He asked, the smile slowly starting to pull. "What the _hell_ is this?" He asked again, this time directed at the Doctor as heat rose in Rose's cheeks. "This better be yours because if I find out she married Mickey Mouse."

"Yes, it's mine." The Doctor replied, trying to sound annoyed but his manic grin gave him away. "And we aren't married, that's still going to be a bit off."

Jack looked between the two of them, gapping with a mix of happy and uncertainty. "So, wait. You're … engaged?" He asked.

"Sorta," Rose said as the Doctor mumbled, "complicated."

"Right, okay." Jack said, his smile fading. "Well, umm, since this all seems to be Time Lord related, Doc, if you need some advice or a demonstration on how the wedding night should go."

"Oh he doesn't need pointers, trust me." Rose smiled involuntarily, earning one of wonder and admiration from Jack.

"Rose, end of the Universe. Some perspective if you could." The Doctor said, though his pride was getting the better of him, and it showed in the cocky way he straightened his tie.

"I have an excellent one from back here," She quipped, getting Jack to chuckle.

"Don't want or need to hear it," Martha snapped, stepping away from the snickering pair and standing by the Doctor even though his head was held a little too high and his chest seemed a little too puffed.

"What was that about?" Jack asked in a conspiratorial whisper. "You two a little too loud for her?"

Rose shook her head. "She's in love with him. Or was, maybe she is still."

"Take it from me, Rosie," Jack said with a sigh as they started moving to where the Doctor and Martha were heading. "Once you love that man it's permanent. It may change, it may become something different, but it's still love. And if she was _in_ love, and she hasn't left him yet, then she still is."

Rose nodded, simply understanding. Not like she had any experience to draw from, having never really left his side since joining him, but she could see how true it was.

The four of them slowly made their way over to a canyon's edge, and as she and Jack rejoined the Doctor and Martha, Rose's free hand fell into the Time Lord's.

Relief, along with discomfort, flooded over her at the initial contact, followed by reassurance and love. She leaned her head against his arm as they stared down at what looked like a former city, finding herself utterly content to have the two men she loved most in the Universe at her sides.

"What's down there?" Martha asked from the other side of the Doctor.

"A city, or a hive, or a nest, or a conglomeration. Looks like it was grown, but," He lifted his free hand, pointing. "Look there. That's like pathways, roads. Must have been some sort of life, long ago."

"What killed it?" Martha asked.

"End of the Universe." Rose said from where she rested against her Time Lord. "What's possibly left?"

"Planet's still here, isn't it?" Martha countered bitterly, and Jack's hand flexed around Rose's.

"Yeah," The Doctor said, dragging out the word. "But it's dying. Everything's dying. Time has killed all the great civilizations. This isn't just night, all the stars have burned up and faded into nothing."

"It must have an atmospheric shell or we'd be frozen to death." Jack said.

"Well, us three, sure. Not so sure about you, Jack." The Doctor said. Rose looked up, seeing him looking pointedly at Jack, and then she turned to the other man and seeing this look of understanding. She lifted her head, looking between the two with her brow knit together, trying to make sense of what they were talking about because as much as she understood she didn't.

"What about the people?" Martha asked, serving as a good distraction. "Does no one survive?" She asked pleadingly.

"I suppose we have to hope that life will find a way." The Doctor said.

"Well, he's not doin' too bad." Jack said, pointing to a man running below, seeming not to notice the mob running after him.

"If you consider running for you life a good thing." Rose said.

"Didn't _we_ always?" Jack asked, nudging her.

"Yeah, but that's not just running. That looks like … like a hunt." The Doctor said before sharply turning. "Come on!" He said, pulling Rose's hand who in turned pulled on Jack.

"Oh I've missed this!" Jack laughed as the four of them sprinted to meet up with the man on the run.

As the canyon slopped down, their paths starting to collide, Jack let go of Rose's hand and moved ahead of them. He eventually reached the man. "I've got you," Jack tried to reassure as he stopped him.

"We've gotta run! They're coming!" The man replied in panic.

Jack pushed the man toward the Doctor, flipping aside his long coat and pulling a revolver from his hip. He aimed it at the people running toward them, a feral looking tribe with pointed teeth and various weapons all looking at them like they were foor.

"Jack, don't you dare!" The Doctor warned.

Jack hesitated, then aimed the gun in the air and fired, stopping the tribe in their tracks.

"There's more of them, we've got to keep going," The man begged, tugging on the Doctor and Rose before looking imploringly to Martha.

"We've got a ship nearby. It's safe, it's not far. Just over there." The Doctor pointed out only to see more of the tribe cresting the hill. "Or maybe now."

"We're close to the silo," The man said. "If we get to the silo, we're safe."

"Silo sounds like a good plan, yeah?" Rose said, turning her head in the opposite direction of the TARDIS and noted how her instinct that there were more coming had been right.

"Silo," The Doctor and Jack said at once.

"Silo for me," Martha chimmed in, and the five of them ran to where the man pointed to.

The compound was surrounded by a chainlink face, and there were centuries with shot guns posted at the entrance.

"It's the futurekind," the man yelled as the ran to the locked gate. "Open the gate!"

"Show me your teeth!" One of the centuries yelled repeatedly.

Rose didn't ask, didn't need to be told twice, and opened her mouth without hesitation. The others must have as well, because a moment later they were pulled inside and shot were being fired at what the man called the futurekind.

"Humans. Humani. Make feast." One of the Futurekind at the front said, looking at them like they were a banquet.

"Go back to where you came from." The Guard pointing th gun at them yelled. The Futurekind didn't move. "I said go back." He leveled the gun at the Futurekind.

"Oh, don't tell _him_ to put down his gun," Jack said, the eye roll clear in his voice though Rose couldn't pull her eyes away from the tribe on the other side of the gate to see him actually do it.

"He's not my responsibility." The Doctor retorted.

Jack scoffed, "And I am?"

"Both of you," Rose hissed, "Stop."

"Sorry," They both said, and if there hadn't been a tribe of cannibals making gestures that they were going to eat them, Rose may have laughed at how familiar this all was. Slowly the tribe backed away, eventually turning away completely.

"Right, let's get you inside," The guards said, gesturing for them to follow.

"My name is Padrafet Shafekane," The man said, pushing past the quartet to stand by the guard. "Please tell me you can take me to Utopia."

"Oh yes, sir, we can." The Guard said with a smile, leading them into a large tunnel.

Utopia. In one of the many, many books Rose had read while on the TARDIS she recalled such a place. Paradise, perfection. Heaven. A chill ran down her spin at the thought, and she took in the shelter they were being led through. It was carved into a mountain, much like the place they were looking at before meeting Padrafet, but she could sense that it was likely overcrowded.

"And who are the rest of you?" The guard asked.

"I'm the Doctor, this is my … wife Rose." He said, and Rose glanced up to see he the light come into his eyes. "And our friends, Jack and Martha."

"Doctor?" The guard asked, walking backwards a moment so he could look the Doctor over. "Of what?"

"Oh, everything." The Doctor replied. "Martha here is a doctor of medicine, though."

"Sorta," Martha replied, looking up at Jack as he looked at her curiously. "I was training when I met them."

"What of the other two? Any use?" The guard asked.

"Oi, kinda rude." Rose growled.

"Rose is a bit of an engine and tech savant." The Doctor said easily.

"Since when?" Jack asked with a bit of disbelief.

"Probably know more than you do," Rose retorted, looking the Captain over. He pouted his lip, nodding his belief.

"Jack's not bad either." The Doctor threw in.

The guard nodded as they came to a room that was quite obviously the entry point to what was referred to as the silo. Stairs leading up and down, pipes and wires running along the walls.

"This is Atillo," The guard said, introducing him to one of the first men they came across once the tunnel branched out more. "He's in charge. He'll get you some ID badges." And the guard left them abruptly.

"ID badges will have to be temporary." Atillo said with a sigh, handing them each a plastic card. Or at least what felt like a plastic card, though Rose supposed this far in the future it could be anything.

"I was wondering," The Doctor stepped up. "Is there anyway someone could retrieve my ship. It's a box, a big blue box. It's stuck out there, and I really need it back."

"I'm sorry, but my family were heading for the silo," Padrafet cut in. "Did they get here? My mother is Kistane Shafekane. My brother is Beltone."

Atillo sighed. "Computers are down, which is why the IDs are only temps. We can check the paperwork. Creet!" Atillo called over his shoulder, and a small blonde boy stuck his head around the corner. "Passenger needs help."

The small boy walked toward Padrefet with a clipboard.

Atillo turned to the Doctor. "A blue box you said?"

"Big, tall, wooden. Says Police." The Doctor added.

"We're driving out for a last water collection. I'll see what I can do." Atillo said.

"Thank you," The Doctor said as he took Rose's hand and followed Martha as she followed Creet.

"I can't hear or feel her." Rose said quietly to the Doctor, and she felt the same concern flow back to her from him. "'S weird. Even after spending so much time away from her over the last few months, I still feel like there's something missing."

"You and her have a strong bond," The Doctor replied. "Nearly equal to mine with her. For better or worse, you two are connected."

Rose grinned. "I'm more married to her than I am you." She mused.

"Oh, come on, that's not nice." He said, sending her a quick mental image of them wrapped up in one another naked. "I'm your mate, your other half." He said with a pout while his mind was showing her something else other than indignation.

"Not technically." Rose said, letting go of his hand and causing him to whimper. "See? I don't have to be inside the TARDIS for her to show me things, yet you can't even whisper in my mind without skin contact."

The teasing ended abruptly as they stepped through a door and was bombarded with the smell of people. So many crammed in a small space, reminding Rose of rush hour public transit during the summer. The smell was atrocious, and Rose only just managed to keep herself from gagging while her brain quickly helped her nose get used to it.

"It's like a refugee camp." Martha noted.

"It _is_ a refugee camp," Rose reminded her. "Refugees of time." Rose noted sadly.

"It stinks," Jack said bluntly, earning a swift smack on the chest from Rose.

"The ripe ol' smell of humans!" The Doctor proclaimed with enthusiasm. "Don't you see, you survived! End of the universe and here you are. Indomitable!" He said as dropped an arm around Rose's shoulders. "That's the word, indomitable."

Suddenly Creet managed to find Padrefet's family, causing them all to pause for a moment. The bitter-sweetness of the moment made Rose's eyes sting, and she grabbed the Doctor's hand to help combat the wave of melancholy. Seeing how even at the end of time family still meant the world made Rose think of her own. What was her sibling, and were they anything like her? How was her Mum and other Pete getting along, and were they truly happy? She supposed it didn't matter, and when the others started to head down the hall, Rose gratefully followed.

A door got the Doctor's attention, and he let got of Rose's hand to take his sonic out his coat pocket. He waved it over the locked system, groaning.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked.

"It's half deadlocked, he said as Jack introduced himself to someone. "Jack, not now. Give us a hand," the Doctor said, not really noticing how Rose stared at the control panel.

Just before Jack's hand passed her head to gain access Rose's own nimble fingers darted to the controls, pressing buttons quickly as she deciphered the code with ease. Finger prints from previous use was minimal, but there enough to put just enough oil on the buttons to dim their lights a fraction, and it didn't take long to calculate how many possibilities there would be simply by how much darker some buttons were than others.

The doors slide open before either she or the Doctor had expected, and while she was firmly behind a wall the Doctor started flailing as he lost his balance. She and Jack reached out and grabbed him together, but she had to admit that the captain probably had the better hold.

"Thanks," The Doctor said sincerely, smiling at Jack.

"How did you cope without me?" Jack teased back.

"Easy, I had her." The Doctor gestured to Rose with a wink.

"Really though," Jack said, turning to Rose. "How did you figure out the codes so quick, Rosie?"

She shrugged, "Just did." She replied.

"Not to disrupt this, I dunno, moment," Martha said. "But has anyone even noticed the giant rocket?"

Looking out the door hadn't been Rose's top priority, but now that the Doctor wasn't about to fall she could take in the impressive structure in front of her.

"They're not refugees, they're passengers." The Doctor marveled.

"He said they were going to Utopia," Martha reminded them all.

"But 's not real." Rose argued. "It's a fable, a fantasy."

"End of the Universe? I'd believe anything." Martha countered.

"Jack, do you recognize those engines?" The Doctor asked.

"Nope," Jack replied, "And whatever it is, it's not rocket science." He said, and Rose snorted before she could stop herself. She bowed her head, hoping no one noticed. "Anyway," Jack said, making her blush. "It's hot though."

"Boiling," the Doctor agreed, taking Rose's arm gently as they stepped back and Jack closed the door.

As the door shut, and older man came running up to them, dressed very dapperly when compared to everyone else, and standing at bit shorter than the Doctor. He immediately moved to Jack with hope in his eyes. "The Doctor?" He asked, taking everyone aback.

"That's me," The Doctor said, lifting his hand to get the older man's attention. He grabbed it and started pulling the Doctor away.

"Good, good, good," The old man continually repeated as the others followed him and the Doctor as they went up a couple flights of stairs.

"Apparently that's good," The Doctor said over his shoulder, surprised that this was the case for once.

It made Rose oddly uneasy.

The older man pulled them into what looked like a control room, and Rose groaned on the inside as she thought of all the time she spent as of late working on various space crafts.

"Chan, welcome, tho." A beautiful blue, bug like alien greeted them. Though bug like, Rose supposed, was an unfair comparison. It was only the shape of her head and the pincers by her chin that brought on images of bugs.

"Hello," Rose replied with a smile, and the poor girl, for she knew she was a girl, was beside herself.

The old man had pulled the Doctor away, and having little interest in gravitissimal accelerators or footprint impellor systems, Rose stayed near the alien girl.

"Who are you?" Martha asked the alien warmly.

"Chan, Chantho, tho." She replied.

"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack said with his most charming smile, and Rose could only roll her eyes.

"Stop it," The Doctor said from somewhere behind a piece of equipment.

"Can't I say hello to anyone?" Jack asked innocently, and maybe a touch offended.

"Chan, I do not protest, tho." Chantho replied, and Rose imagined if her biology allowed the sweet alien would be blushing.

"Maybe later, Blue." Jack said with a wink before he went off to join the older man and the Doctor.

"Well, they're going to be occupied for a while." Rose said, noting a seating area where Jack had discarded the bag he had with him. She gestured for the girls to follow her, but Chantho shook her head with a smile. Her attention was then immediately returned to the older man.

"I'll sit." Martha said, joining Rose as they flopped down. "So you and Jack are …?" She asked.

"He's like a brother to me." Rose replied. "Three of us were thick of thieves before the game station." She huffed a sigh. "The Doctor lied to me, told me he was rebuilding the Earth. He's so … uncomfortable around Jack. I literally feel how much he wants to run from him, and I don't understand. They're getting along, but there it is." Rose gestured to the men. "'S subtle, but the Doctor is trying to be as far from Jack as he can."

"Well," Martha said, picking up Jack's bag and putting it between them, glancing back at the men before grinning at Rose. "Maybe there's a hint in here." She said, and before Rose could stop her, Martha was opening the bag.

At first she thought it was just holding some weird container of bubbly fluid until she saw the fingers. Fingers she knew well from having them trail her body in intimacy, or interlocked with her own. Well, not _those_ fingers specifically, but it did belong to the man she loved.

"Oh my God!" Martha cried out as she moved the jar on to the table, looking up at the men and Chantho approaching. "You've got a hand. A hand in a jar."

"That's my hand!" The Doctor stuttered and pointed while looking at Jack.

"It's my Doctor detector." Jack said as if it was such a normal thing to have a hand in the jar.

"How did you even know it was his?" Rose asked as she looked it over.

"Well, umm, if you remember correctly he was the last person I kissed before I went off to my death. When you guys left me I did a bit of a DNA swab, used it to lock on to the Doctor's biometric signature. Found it on the streets next to a sword."

"I did lose it in a sword fight." The Doctor said thoughtfully.

"What do you mean you lost in a sword fight. You've got both your hands, I can see them." Martha asked, seeming to double check that maybe one of them had been a fake, examining them from her spot on the sofa.

"I grew another." The Doctor said, grinning cheekily as he removed his newer hand from his pockets and wiggled it at Martha.

"Don't worry, creeped me out for a bit, too." Rose tried to reassure her.

"Doesn't anymore though, does it?" He turned to her with a wink, and Rose rolled her eyes and shook her head while trying not grin and failing.

"Might I ask what species are you?" The older man asked.

"Time Lord. Last of. Heard of them?" Chantho and the older man both looked clueless. "Legend or anything? Not even a myth?" The Doctor asked, searching for any sign of recognition. "Blimey, end of the universe is a bit humbling."

"Should come here more often, then." Rose quipped. The Doctor shot her a glare and grin.

"Chan, it is said that I am the last of my species, too, tho." Chantho said sadly.

"Sorry, what was your name?" The Doctor asked.

"My assistant and good friend, Chantho." The older man replied for her. "A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge." He explained.

"Sorry, I didn't catch your name," Rose said, holding back all the comments she wanted to make against the man.

"Professor Yana." He said with a curt nod. There was something in his eyes that struck Rose as familiar. They were old, much older than he was, but they weren't like the Doctor's. Something told her she would know her Time Lord regardless of the regeneration. But this man, he was something else.

But what ever he was, it didn't matter. For now, she'd chalk him up to just a rude ol' bloke with a sexist attitude.

"You're supposed to say sorry," Jack's voice broke Rose's thoughts, and she looked up to see the Doctor looking sheepish.

"Oh, yes, Sorry." He said to Chantho.

"Chan, most grateful, tho."

"So what about those things outside? The Beastie boys?" Jack asked. "What are they?"

"We call them the Futurekind," Yana explained. "Which is a myth in itself, but, uh, it's feared they are what we will become unless we reach Utopia."

"Utopia, the completely fictional and entirely impossible place of paradise?" Rose pointed out, getting a glare from Yana.

"It's out there. Real. A project created by the Science Foundation thousands of years ago to preserve mankind and survive the collapse of reality itself. It's far beyond the Condensate Wilderness, out toward the wildlands and the dark matter reeds. Call us in." Yana partly growled back.

"Sounds amazing." Rose said evenly. "Science foundation? Basic name, that. Science foundation of what? Earth? The constellation of Borra? Raxacoricovarlonpatorius?" She asked as evenly as possible, but somehow only made Yana's eyes darken.

"You don't believe." He stated.

"No, I don't." Rose answered honestly.

"Then explain the signal." He asked, gesturing to where the Doctor had wandered.

He was standing in front of control panel. "He's right," He said to Rose. "There's a signal that keeps modulating, so it's not automatic. Someone's out there."

But Rose wasn't focused on him so much as the man in front of her. Yana had been ready to tear her a new one a moment ago, but now he looked like he was experiencing a migraine. His face was contorted in pain, eyes shut tight as a hand hovered near his temple.

"Professor?" The Doctor called, and suddenly the older man seemed as right as rain.

"I … Right. That's enough talk, there's work to be done." He said, joining the Doctor.

"You alright?" He asked the Professor.

"Yes, I'm fine." The older man growled. "We're on a deadline, aren't we? Must get this rocket in the air, and soon."

"Except, as of now, the Rocket's not going to fly, is it?" The Doctor pointed out, and Rose leaned forward to listen better.

"Rose?" Martha asked, hand on her arm and drowning out the conversation half way across the room. "You alright?"

Rose shook her head. "I don't know what it is about this Yana," She said quietly, Chantho having gone to join the men with Jack. Without know how good the alien girl's hearing was, Rose wasn't about to risk being heard. "I don't trust him. If he's as smart as he seems to think, he must realize there's no Utopia. So what's the signal? End of the Universe, yeah? What is there to run from?"

"Your family is in another Universe," Martha pointed out softly. "Maybe that's where the signal is coming from?"

"Except walls between worlds are closed." Rose replied. "'S why I can never see my Mum or mate again. Why I dunno if I have a lil brother or sister over there. Why I'll never know. And if this is the end of this Universe, who's to say it's not the end of all of them?" She asked Martha.

Before she could reply, the hum of power thrummed around the room, lights going brighter and smiles coming to Yana and Chantho's faces as the Doctor held his sonic against a panel.

"How did you do that?" Yana asked, a hint of suspicion in his astonishment.

"Oh, we've been chatting away. I forgot to tell you, I'm brilliant." The Doctor smiled cockily, but it made Rose more unsettled.


	25. Utopia pt 2

The Doctor continued to praise Yana. For his ingenuity, for his brilliance, for his determination to carry on. And Rose, as she helped install various circuit panels and finish some final mechanics with Jack, couldn't help be feel like this was dangerous. Yana was pointedly ignoring her for the most part, which was fine by her since he really was a sexist pig. He made that pointedly clear when she volunteered to help Jack instead of getting parts with Martha and Chantho, and he scoffed. _Scoffed_.

"Rosie," Jack said in a quiet, comforting voice. "You okay?"

She shook her head. "Don't get a good feeling 'bout all this." She said simply, connecting wires to circuits.

Jack nodded, looking over his shoulder a second. "Why did he leave me behind?" He asked, and Rose looked to see the Doctor was busy smelling wires and likely wasn't tuned into them at all.

"Dunno," She replied honestly. "He lied to me 'bout it. That day, we don't talk about it. Something happened to me there, and now we just …." Rose shook her head.

"What happened to you?" Jack asked, dropping the wires in his hands and turned to Rose. He gripped her shoulders, looking scared and hopeful all at once as his blue eyes studied her hazel ones.

"Professor," Atillo's voice came over the communication systems. "Tell the Doctor we've found his blue box."

"Ah!" The Doctor exclaimed, and he and Jack moved to the monitor with Yana hot on the Doctor's heels. Rose immediately sent her mind to the TARDIS, hoping to feel her. The ship wouldn't respond except a for a basic hum that let Rose know she did indeed connect. It was light, disconnected, and it broke Rose's heart.

"Professor," The Doctor said to the older man, dropping his hand on the waist-coat covered shoulder with a grin. "It's a wild stab in the dark, but I may just have found you a way out."

"Just to safety, yeah?" Rose said quickly without thinking.

"'Course," The Doctor said, narrowing his gaze at Rose, clearly trying to read her reluctance.

Rose nodded, trying not to let her relief be too palatable as Atillo announced they were bringing the TARDIS up to them.

Everyone was quiet as they waited, returning to fiddle with what they had been while waiting for the Old Girl's arrival.

A quiver in her mind alerted Rose that the ship had arrived, and whatever was going on with Rose was either affecting the TARDIS, or vice versa.

Once she was settled, the Doctor headed inside, and Rose ran after him.

The TARDIS wasn't as bright as she normally was, yet the Doctor didn't seem to notice as he ran for the stairs leading under the grating.

"What's wrong?" Rose whispered as she approached the control panel and reached a hand up to stroke the time rotor. The TARDIS hummed in her mind quickly, sending red, giving Rose the feeling that if there was a word to be used, 'wrong' was it. Too much of everything going on here was wrong.

"Why do you look so sullen?" The Doctor asked as he came back up carrying a long, thick cord in a bundle in his arms.

"Can't you feel her distress?" Rose asked.

"Yeah," He said curtly. "I do. Too well."

"And it doesn't concern you?" Rose asked, and the Doctor's brown eyes locked on to hers with a thousand unsaid things running behind them.

"Not really." He said not unkindly. "Because I have a feeling that she's going to have to get very used to what makes her so uncomfortable, as am I." He said before lifting a panel on the console and connecting one end of the wire. He didn't say anything else as he carried the bundle out the doors, leaving them open ajar.

Giving the rotor one last stroke, Rose reluctantly left the TARDIS.

"Oh am I glad to see that thing?" Martha said, seeming to arrive as Rose stepped outside. The second thing Rose noticed was Yana sitting in a chair, staring at the box, squinting at it like his head was killing him.

"Something wrong?" She asked him gently despite her distaste for him. Chantho was at his side in another breath, kneeling down beside him and ready to help him.

Yana looked up at Rose, and she couldn't tell if the dark squint he had turned on her was because of pain or because she dared to ask about his well being. "I'm fine," he said kindly. Rose nodded, going back to Jack to see if he needed help.

"Where do you want me?" Rose asked as he put her hands in her pockets, eyes following Martha who seemed to have a task of her own.

"Oh I can think of a few places, but I don't think your nearly husband would let me." He said with a salacious grin that Rose merely rolled her eyes at. Jack laughed. "He put me in charge of the retro-feeds. Not exactly a two person job, but since there isn't really anything else."

Rose shrugged, standing beside Jack and watching the feeds, quicker than him to note and correct the things that seemed off.

"Professor! Systems are down." Atillo's voice sounded. "Professor, are you getting me?"

"I'm here," Yana said with mild impatience as he clamoured over to the monitor and plopped down in the chair. "We're ready. Now, all you need to do is connect the couplings. Then we can launch." He half shouted before smacking the side of the monitor. "Gods sakes! This equipment needs rebooting all the time!" He cursed the machine out, gesturing at it with frustration.

"Anything I can do?" Martha asked as she hurried over. "I've finished that lot."

"Yes, if you could." Yana said kindly, offering Martha his seat. "Just press the reboot key every time the picture goes out."

"Certainly," Martha said with a nod, earning a grin from Yana.

Okay, so he wasn't sexist, he just didn't like her. Rose chuckled to herself, shaking her head when Jack looked inquisitively at her. So she didn't believe in Utopia? Was that reason enough to hate her so much? Then again there was just something about Yana that made her skin crawl, so maybe it went both ways somehow. After all, he seemed to like his women submissive, one thing Rose was not.

"Captain," Yana said, coming up to them after a conversation with Atillo. "Keep the levels below the red." He said, pointing to the radiation level meters. Jack nodded, glancing at Rose who merely shrugged.

"Where is that room?" The Doctor asked, and Rose glanced over her shoulder in time to see him put on his specs and step toward the monitor. Where ever it was was hot enough to send a hue of red over the monitor.

"It's underneath the rocket." Yana explained as Rose came up to the other side of the Doctor and put her hand on his shoulder, watching the man in a full haz-mat suit enter the room and head for four cylinder like things. "Fix the couplings and the footprint can work. But the entire chamber is flooded with stet radiation."

"Stet?" The Doctor curled his lip, perplexed. "Never heard of it."

"You wouldn't want to." Yana replied, shrugging. "But it's safe enough. We can hold back the radiation from here." He said nonchalantly, as if a man going into a radiation flooded room was a common practice.

"He looks like he's struggling," Rose noted as the man pulled one of the couplings up.

"It's boiling in there, and those couplings aren't light." Yana said, his tone much more friendly than he had been.

As the man in the chamber dropped the coupling into place, and alarm went off, startling Rose.

"It's rising," Yana said, panicked as he looked to Jack behind them. "Keep it level." Yana hissed.

"Yes, sir," Jack replied, and started making adjustments.

Rose darted back over, helping him restore the levels. Just as they seemed to get them back down to the acceptable zone another alarm went off, and the lights in the room started to dim.

"Chan, we're losing power, tho," Chantho panicked, and Rose and Jack immediately began to skim the controls in front of them. It didn't seem to matter what adjustments they made, nothing seemed to counter the drain.

"Radiation's rising," The Doctor warned.

"We've noticed," Rose snapped back as she frantically tried another adjustment.

"Override the vents," The Doctor yelled.

"Think we haven't tried that?" She yelled back as the panel shocked her, causing her hand to jerk back.

"We can jump start it," Jack said, a light coming to his eyes before he bolted across the room. He picked up two wires, sparks flaring from the ends of them the closer he brought them together,

"Jack, what're ya doing?" Rose yelled at him, her voice cracking in fear as he held the cables together.

"Don't! It's going to flare!" The Doctor warned, but it was too late.

Too late, and Rose was unable to look away from Jack as he screamed in agony while electricity coursed through his body. He struggled, eyes fluttering while barely locking on to Rose's as if trying to tell her something. And then he collapsed, dropping the wires to the floor. The lights came back up, levels returned to normal, but Jack laid motionless.

A breath later, Rose was rushing to Jack's side with Martha, Chantho moving to the wires and pushing them aside to ensure no one else came to the same fate.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Rose heard Yana say sincerely as her hand gripped Jack's hand.

"The chamber's flooded with radiation, yeah?" The Doctor said in an unaffected voice that made Rose whip her head around to look at him while Martha started mouth to mouth. He looked on at Jack unperturbed, unfeeling.

"Without the couplings, the engines will never start. It was all for nothing." Yana said, frustrated and solemn.

"Oh, I don't know." The Doctor shrugged. "Martha, just leave him." He said casually.

And Rose broke.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She demanded, tears stinging her eyes as she stalked quickly toward the Doctor. "He's dead, our friend died." She made to beat her fists against his chest in anger but he caught them and held them steadily. "How can you just look at him like he was nothing? How can you be so cold?" She demanded.

"Rose," he said gently. "It's okay," He then looked to Yana. "You've got a room a man can't enter without dying?" He asked.

"Yes?" Yana replied, his brow furrowing.

"Well," The Doctor said, and a gasp from behind her made Rose twist out of the Doctor's grip. She stared disbelieving as Jack sat up, looking around at everyone staring at him. "I've got just the man you need." The Doctor finished.

"Was someone kissing me?" Jack asked, looking to Martha who was the closest person to him, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Don't worry about that, we need you." The Doctor said, moving to Jack's side and pulling him to his feet. "You need to go in that chamber and fix the couplings."

"Alright, let's go." Jack said, gesturing to the door.

Rose followed as they moved toward it, causing them both to stop. "Rose, what are you doing?" The Doctor asked. "It's not safe."

"You know what else isn't safe? Keeping things from me. I'm going with you, and I'm getting some answers." She said firmly, leaving no room for either of them to argue as she pushed past them and started running down the corridors to the chamber.

Atillo stood shocked by the chamber door, seeming unsure as to whether or not he should leave the empty haz-mat suit inside even though there was no reason he shouldn't. He didn't look up until all three of them were in front of him, and the Doctor stepped around Rose and put a hand on Atillo's shoulder.

"Lieutenant, get on board the rocket. I promise, you're going to fly." The Doctor said with a gentle nudge as Jack hurriedly removed his long coat. Rose took it, folding it neatly without thinking and setting it aside as Jack worked on the cuffs of his sleeves before pushing his suspenders down.

"The chamber's flooded." Atillo replied, his automatic.

"Trust me, we've found a way of tripping the system. Run." The Doctor said as Jack pulled off his oxford, handing that to Rose as well as he pulled his suspenders back up. "Wh-what are you doing?" The Doctor stuttered, looking between Jack and Rose like he couldn't believe she was helping him.

"I'm going in," Jack replied like it was obvious.

"Well by the looks of it, I'd say that stet radiation doesn't affect clothing, only flesh."

"And 's boiling in there." Rose gestured to the door as she Jack's oxford on top of his jacket. "And he's human." She said, looking pointedly at the Doctor as Jack moved to the door. "Right?"

"Right." He said, turning to Jack and putting his hand on the door.

The two men stared each other down before Jack asked, "How long have you known?"

"Ever since I took Rose and ran away from you." The Doctor replied. "Good luck," He added before opening the door for Jack, turning away from the intense heat that sizzled against Rose's exposed skin even ten feet away. When the door was shut tight, she moved closer to the Doctor, arms folded.

"Known what?" She asked.

"That he can't die." The Doctor replied evenly, before looking at Jack through the window Rose was too short to see through.

"Doctor, are you there?" Martha's voice came over the communicator.

"Receiving, yeah, he's inside."

"And still alive?" Martha asked, her voice rising an octave.

"Oh yes." The Doctor replied. "Which leads me to ask, when did you first realize?" He asked as he looked back through the window.

"Earth, 1892." Jack replied, sounding like he was straining with something. "Got in a fight on Ellis Island. A man shot me through the heart, then I woke up. Thought it was kinda strange, but then it never stopped. Fell off a cliff, trampled by horses, World War 1, World War 2, poison, strangulation, a stray Javalin," Jack listed, and the Doctor winced. "In the end, I got the message: I'm the man who can never die." Jack said, and while Rose's heart broke from the pain of hearing how much he suffered, a tiny part of her was comforted in knowing Jack wouldn't suddenly leave her. "And you knew all this time." He added in an accusatory manor which prompted Rose to glare at the Doctor.

He met her gaze, regret swimming in those warm, brown eyes as he sighed heavily. "That's why I left you," He said to Jack while looking at Rose. "It's not easy even just looking at you Jack, 'cause you're wrong."

"Hey," Rose said as Jack said "thanks."

"I can't help it," The Doctor defended himself to them both. "I'm a Time Lord, it's instinct. It's in my guts. You're a fixed point in time and space. You're a fact. That's never meant to happen. Even the TARDIS reacted against you. Flew all the way to the end of the universe just to get rid of you."

"So I need to give both of you a scolding, then," Rose huffed. "Which is probably why she's been so quiet with me, knows what's coming." She said, and the Doctor chuckled, smirking a bit as he shook his head.

"She'll love that." He mused.

"So what happened?" Jack asked on the other side of the door. "Because the last thing I remember when I was mortal was facing three Daleks. I knew it was the end, had no ammunition, no one left but you, and no where to go fast enough. I come back to life, whole body aching, and surrounded by dust.

The Doctor looked to Rose. "Rose."

"What?" Jack asked.

"I did this?" Rose said in disbelief, pointing to the door. "I made him immortal?" She asked for clarification, getting a nod from the Doctor.

"How?" Jack asked. "I thought you sent her away."

"He did," Rose replied, trying to be angry at the thought but couldn't get past the shock of learning what she had done. "He sent me back and I wouldn't have it. So Micks and I, we got the console opened and I looked into the Heart of the TARDIS."

"You did what?" Jack asked, his voice cracking.

"I looked into the TARDIS, and she looked into me. I took on the time vortex, returned to the Doctor, and turned the Dalek's to dust."

"But you did more than that." The Doctor said gently. "Do you remember?"

"I-I-I remember saving him." She protested. "I remember feeling like his life was gone, and wanting to bring him back."

"And you did." He said, pushing off the wall and stepping toward her. The Doctor caressed her cheek, and she felt how scared he was, how he was terrified of losing her and how much he cared about her. "You just couldn't control it, and you brought him back for good."

"Jack." She whimpered. "Jack, I'm so, so sorry." She said as she turned to the door, her voice cracking with every word. "I didn't mean to do this. I didn't, I just…."

"Rose, it's okay," Jack replied sincerely, and she felt the warmth in his voice pierce her heart. "Do you know what it means to me? To know you loved me so much you brought me back to life?"

"But you'll out live us all." She said, feeling the tear roll down her cheek as she pressed her hand to the hot door, not caring how it caused her skin to ache.

"True," Jack grunted on the other side of the door. "But I already came to terms with that. Already thought I out lived you." He said, a huff of relief. "It's funny, I'm so accepting of it that when I saw you when I woke up I didn't even question if it was the afterlife."

"Do you wanna die, Jack?" The Doctor asked curiously.

"I dunno," Jack replied. "Thought I did, once. Then you stumble across places like this, people just surviving against the odds, and it's fantastic. Makes you glad you can take some of the burden of death without facing the consequences of it."

The Doctor smirked, "You know, end of the Universe. The man who can't die. You may just be out there somewhere."

"I could meet myself."

"Only man you're ever gonna be happy with." The Doctor teased, earning a slap from Rose but her first smile since the mention of the Game Station.

"This new regeneration's kinda cheeky," Jack commented.

"And it's gotten me in trouble, too." The Doctor grinned in the very way Jack just pointed out.

"And it's gonna keep gettin' you in trouble if you don't watch it." Rose reminded him.

"So, Rosie." Jack said. "Brought me back to life, turned Dalek's to dust, what did you do to you?" He asked, but before she could answer he cried in triumph. "Last couplings in place!" Jack declared.

"Good, get out of there." The Doctor said, and Rose stepped back so he could get the door opened for Jack. Her hand still burned, and her skin was pink and angry.

As the door closed, the two men ran about the room, the Doctor calling Atillo and telling him to prepare for launch while Jack went to some controls.

"Where do you need me?" She asked the Doctor who looked down at her palm.

"No where." He said.

"Doctor," She said sternly.

He huffed. "Fine, help Jack keep the gravity pulse stable." He instructed, pointing to a panel. "But if your hand is that raw."

"Doesn't hurt," She said as she went to the controls he indicated, studying them quickly and making sure they were balance, fingers on controls that needed adjusting.

Footsteps came thundering toward them, and Rose glanced over her shoulder to see Martha grinning eagerly, coming to a stumbling stop as she stopped in front of the Doctor as he made adjustments on the panel opposite of Rose.

"It's the professor," Martha said, trying to keep her voice even, though the pitch was all over the place. "He's got this watch, a fob watch, same as yours. Same writing, same everything." She said, wringing her hands.

"Don't be ridiculous," The Doctor replied automatically.

"I asked him, he said he's had it all his life." Martha added, and Rose tensed.

"So he's got the same watch?" Jack said, sounding annoyed that they were discussing something seemingly so pointless.

"Yeah, but it's not a watch. It's this chameleon thing." Martha tried to explain.

"No, no , no," The Doctor said, growing more flustered the more insistent Martha was. "It's this thing, this device. It rewrites biology, turns a Time Lord human."

"Martha, are you sure." Rose said evenly, and she felt the Doctor's eyes on her as she stared down Martha.

"It's the same watch," She said firmly.

Rose closed her eyes, a cold chill shooting down her spin.

"Rose," The Doctor ground out. "Rose, what is it? What aren't you telling me?" He asked, stalking toward her, hurt and anger in his eyes.

"His eyes," Rose said, not flinching from the look in his eyes. "They're old. Like yours. Even as John, your eyes were old."

"John? What are you talking about?" Jack asked as the Doctor turned away and started interrogating Martha.

"A while back we were being chased by a family of aliens who wanted the Doctor's essence. He changed into a human, and he went by the name of John during that time." Rose explained. "I kept the watch safe for him then, but if Yana didn't have someone, if he is a Time Lord."

"Then he would have had the watch himself." Jack concluded, and Rose could tell he understood her unease about all this.

The slam of something got there attention, and the both looked over to see the Doctor was now running back in the direction of where they left Yana.

"What did you say to him?" Rose yelled at Martha as she ran past the stunned girl, chasing after the Doctor.

"That he didn't see the watch before." Martha shouted from behind as she likely started to chase after Rose.

A glance over her shoulder, and she could see Martha and Jack were coming up behind her. "And now?" She bit out, and she could tell by the cold fear in Martha's eyes that not only had the Doctor probably asked the same thing, but that Martha was starting to regret having ever brought it up.

She caught up with the Doctor at a door, seeing him running his sonic along a key pad. Like she had with the door to the rocket earlier, Rose punched in the codes she calculated quickly, releasing the door. They ran, stopping short when they heard the chant of the futurekind.

"How did they get inside?" She asked as she caught their shadows coming toward them.

The Doctor grabbed her hand, pulling her down a corridor behind them.

"Because the man who's upstairs let them." He bit out.

"And who is upstairs, Doctor?" Rose asked, glancing behind them to make sure Jack and Martha were close.

" _The Master"_ , the Doctor whispered in her mind, showing her brief flashes of his past with the other Time Lord as they made their way up stairs to where they had left him. " _I can feel him,"_ he added as they came to the door.

"Professor!" The Doctor said, dropping Rose's hand to pound at the door. "Professor, where are you? Are you there? Please, I need to explain," The Doctor pleaded as Rose tried to work the key pad the same way she had before.

"Here," Jack whispered in her ear, and she relented, her brain still too clouded with images of the Doctor's past with the man he knew was on the other side of the door. How they were kids who played together, growing apart as they grew up. All the times the Master tried to kill the Doctor, the times he came painfully close.

"Open the door, please, I'm begging you!" The Doctor shouted. "Please."

Jack let out a frustrated growl, pulling out his revolver and hitting it the control panel with the butt of the weapon. The panel sparked, but the door opened. The Doctor flew inside, Rose and the others following behind just as they heard the clamouring feet of the future kind on the stairs.

Jack slammed the door shut, putting his weight against it as Martha ran over to a fallen Chantho. Rose, small as she was, knew exactly what Jack was doing and joined him by putting what strength she had into holding it closed just as a thud shook the frame.

"She'd dead," Martha said of Chantho as the Doctor started to yell and pound at the TARDIS on the other side of the room.

"Come give us a hand," Jack said, and Martha came to help them as the futurekind made another attempt to get in. The door slipped a fragment, and panic shot through Rose before she tried to put more weight into keeping it closed.

A scream came from the direction of the TARDIS, and Rose looked on in cold fear as a golden light permeated from the cracks in the door and from the windows. Her heart pounded as she watched the Doctor take a step back as the light faded.

"Doctor," A voice sounded as if over a speaker. "Oooh, new voice. Hello! Hello. Hello, hello," The new voice changed pitches, and Rose swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I know that voice," Martha said, her voice shaking.

"Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me." The Master said gleefully.

"I'm asking you really properly, just stop. Just think," The Doctor begged.

"Use my name." The Master asked.

"Master, I'm sorry." The Doctor conceded, sounding more like a compliant slave than the strong, bold man she knew. Rose forced herself to stay where she was instead of charging over to the TARDIS and trying to open the doors with her bare hands. Sending her mind out to the ship, she tried to plead with the old girl to let their Time Lord in, but she got nothing. Absolutely nothing. The TARDIS closed herself off, and Rose hadn't been so scared in a long time.

"Tough!" The Master snapped back. The Doctor held out his sonic, pointing it with the posture of the Oncoming storm at the ship he loved so much. "Oh no you don't," The Master growled, and the TARDIS started to dematerialize. "End of the Universe, have fun, bye bye." The Master's voice faded from the room as the TARDIS vanished.

"Doctor! Stop him." Martha cried.

"Do you really think he just willingly let that psychopath take off with our ship?" Rose growled at her without fully meaning to.

"Doctor!" Jack called. "We need help."

And at that, the Doctor turned on his heel and came toward them. He grabbed Jack's wrist roughly, holding his sonic over the vortex manipulator. "Hold still," he growled, and Jack listened. A moment later, the Doctor pushed some buttons. "Girls, hold on." He instructed, and Rose put her hand on Jack's manipulator, Martha's on top of hers, the Doctor's fingers on a button beneath her palm.

A moment later the air was knocked from her lungs, her head spun. And then she was standing on a London side street, the sound of a siren in the distance, and a "Vote Saxon" poster plastered prominently on the wall across from her.


	26. The Sound of Drums pt 1

"Oh my head," Martha complained as Rose cracked her neck, her eyes still fixated on that stupid "Vote Saxon" poster.

"Time travel without a capsule, that's a killer." The Doctor groaned, shaking it off before he took Rose's hand. She quickly raised her own mental shields, not wanting him to pick up on the anxiety that poster was giving her for what ever reason. It seemed to work because as he checked to make sure Jack and Martha were following along he gave no sign of concern for Rose.

"Still," Jack said as they turned out on to the street. "At least we made it. Earth, 21st century by the looks of it. Talk about lucky." Jack said.

"That wasn't luck," The Doctor said evenly. "That was me." He said as he turned again, heading to a pedestrian road away from traffic. Rose wasn't even sure exactly where they were, her eyes too drawn to the simple black and white posters all around them, the t-shirts people were wearing. Her ears, while picking up the traffic on the road, and the clamour of conversation around her, also heard an odd, four beat rhythm. One that was familiar in a weird way that she couldn't quite pin point.

She was led to a seating area, and she sat down by the Doctor.

"How do you mean that was you?" Jack asked.

"I programmed the vortex manipulator to take us here, the same date and location I locked the TARDIS to before the Master took off with it." The Doctor explained, his voice distant and his eyes dark. Rose, she realized, wasn't the only one who seemed to notice the obnoxious amount of paper with Saxon's name everywhere.

"We don't know what he looks like, though." Martha pointed out. "And if he's, what do you call it, regenerated, how will we know him?"

"I just will." The Doctor said absently, his eyes homed in one someone. "The moment I see him, Time Lords always do."

Rose followed his gaze to a homeless man sitting against a wall, tapping his tin mug in a four beat pattern that she couldn't quite here.

"Hold on," Martha said cautiously. "His voice, I knew that voice in the end when he spoke. If he could be anyone," She stood up, looking around. "We missed the election." She said, looking to Rose and then to Jack.

Jack looked around, and realization came to him as he slowly stood up as well.

"Doc," He said, and Rose turned to see where Jack was looking. Up on a giant screen in the middle of the square was a news broadcast covering the landslide win of Harold Saxon as prime minister of Britain. They moved as a group slowly toward it, but stopped far from where the crowd was forming.

"That's him." The Doctor said. "He's Prime Minister."

"Knew I didn't like his face," Rose said, watching as The Master stopped and obliged the media by kissing the doe-eyed blonde woman at his side. Rose snorted. "He found someone to marry him?"

"She another Time Lord?" Jack asked.

"No, she's human." The Doctor replied, gripping Rose's hand tightly in his as The Master prepared to speak to the cameras, his big brown eyes seeming to fall right on them as he spoke.

"This country has been sick. This country needs healing. This country needs medicine. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that what this country really needs … is a Doctor." The Master grinned wickedly, and Rose fought the impulse to charge after the giant image and growl at it.

"Come on," Martha said. "My flat's not far from here." She gestured behind her, and she started leading the others down the road.

" _Rose, you're closed off. What's wrong?_ "The Doctor asked her mentally, punctuating his sentence with concern.

She dropped her walls, and the Doctor startled at the flood she sent him containing all the worry, fear, apprehension, concern, and determination that coursed through her. He didn't release his hold on her, but it loosened a bit.

Martha wasn't wrong when she said her flat wasn't far, and as she lead them up to the second floor of the townhouse building Rose and the Doctor dropped each other's hands. There hadn't been much to say, and both were feeling too much of the same unpleasant emotions for the contact to be of any benefit.

As Martha unlocked her door, she gave a sigh of relief. "Home," She said as they all stepped inside.

"Do you have a laptop? Computer?" The Doctor asked her, and she gestured to the desk where her laptop was closed.

"I can show you the Saxon websites, he's been around for ages." Jack said as he looked down at his cell phone, concern in his voice.

"Who are you calling?" Rose asked, studying the way Jack's brows were knit together, and his finger tapped nervously on the edge of the device.

"Some friends of mine, but there's no reply." He said, and Rose could see his eyes were clouded with worry.

"Any one special?" She asked with a half smile.

"Yeah," Jack said evenly. "He is." He sighed, then swiftly moved to stand behind the Doctor as the Time Lord sat at Martha's desk with the laptop open in front of him.

"It's so weird," Martha said to her as they watched the two men score the websites. "The day after the election Four days since I met you both."

"And there we went, flying around the universe while he was here the whole time." The Doctor grumbled, running a hand over his face.

"You couldn't have known." Rose tried to reassure.

"Oh, but I should've." The Doctor countered. "So why didn't I sense him? Why couldn't I detect the presence of another Time Lord?" He got up from the chair in a quick, fluid motion and crossed the room to stand before her. He put his hands on her waist. "Dozens of time lines splintering, pulling us apart, all except one. He's a Time Lord, he could have been messing with them."

"But that was ages ago." Rose shook her head once and stopped. "But then again to be voted prime minister he would have had to have been here when the candidates were selected."

"He does have the TARDIS," Jack pointed out. "He could have been here for decades. It would explain his back story."

"Back story?" The Doctor asked, looking at Jack and then Martha.

"He goes back years," Martha said as she moved into her small kitchen, filling a kettle and putting it on the stove. "Everyone knows his story: Cambridge University, Rugby blue, won the Athletics thing, wrote a novel, went into business, marriage, everything. He's got a whole life."

"And yet nothing specific." Rose pointed out, stepping away from the Doctor as Martha and Jack both looked at her with confusion. "Okay, won the athletics thing. What thing? What award? Wrote a novel? What's it called? Went into business? What was it? It's like when John would try to tell me about his life, they were more facts than story. Nothing to back it up because it wasn't real." Rose explained as the Doctor moved to the sofa and sat on the arm of it.

"TARDIS," Jack reminded them.

"No," The Doctor shook his head. "When he was stealing th TARDIS the only thing I could do was fuse the coordinates. I locked them permanently. The only places he could travel was the year 100 trillion on that dying planet, or Cardiff 2007."

"But to be on the voting docket he would have needed to be here a little longer than five months. What about leeway?" Jack asked as he sat in the chair at the desk, the kettle whistling in the background.

"Well, eighteen months, tops. The most he could have been here is eighteen months."

"Long enough to get into politics and make a name for himself," Jack thought out loud. "But Rose does bring up a good point: how did he get everyone to believe a back story that she's managed to pull apart in two minutes?"

"The Master's always been sorta … hypnotic. But never on a scale this massive." The Doctor considered.

"I was gonna vote for him," Martha said as she handed Rose a cup of tea and then handed the other one to Jack.

"Really?" The Doctor asked, following Martha's movements as she went back into the kitchen to retrieve the other two cups from the counter. Rose sat on the middle cushion of the sofa, watching Martha as she handed the cup to the Doctor before sitting on other sofa arm.

"Well, that was before I even met you. And I liked him." Martha shrugged, sipping her tea.

"Me too," Jack admitted.

"Why do you say that? What was his policy, what did he stand for?" The Doctor asked.

"I dunno, he always sounded good." Martha replied with a dreamy tone, tapping her fingers against her mug in a four beat pattern. "Like you could trust him. He spoke about … I can't really remember, but it was good."

"I know that rhythm," Rose said, trying to place where she'd heard that before.

"What's with the tapping?" The Doctor asked, pointing to the way Martha's fingers moved.

"I dunno," She said, looking at her fingers like they weren't hers. "I, it's just, I dunno." She stuttered.

As the Doctor got to his feet, a tune came from the laptop behind Jack. On the screen, a notification that there would be a Saxon broadcast on all channels popped up, and the Doctor lunged for the television. He flicked it on than sat on the coffee table, right on the very edge, watching intently.

"Britain, Britain, Britain," The Master said with that psychotic grin of his. "What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago, this world was so small. And then they came out of the unknown…."

Rose watched the broadcast with disconnected interest. Watching events from her past from an outsider's perspective felt odd. Knowing she had a hand in stopping every event that popped up, remembering her mother's fearful responses to all but the ghosts (at first at least). She calculated how long the Master could have been here for it, how long he roamed the same Earth she did. Eighteen months. If he'd been around that long, he would have popped up while she was considered a missing person. A cold chill went through, remembering how Mickey had been listening for the sounds of the TARDIS. That could have been bad if he had stumbled on the Master instead of her and the Doctor.

"What?" The Doctor said, and Rose snapped out of her thoughts and looked on the screen to see these little metal sphere's in the corner of the screen, the Master yammering on about how there would be diplomatic relations with the sphere's beginning tomorrow. Barely wondering what she missed, she realized she'd heard everything. Higher functioning brain meant listening without listening, and while she was in a daze her mine cataloged everything the Master spoke about.

"Every teacher," The Master said, "and chemist and lorry driver and farmer. And every, oh, I don't know, medical student?"

Rose bolted up as the Doctor whipped his head around to look at Martha. He then turned the TV around, and the sticks of what reminded Rose of dynamite wrapped and secured to the TV made her drop her mug. The Doctor grabbed the laptop while Rose grabbed his jacket. Jack was opening the door and Martha ran through it and down the stairs with the rest of them not far behind.

Barely out of the building and into the streets, the explosion broke out the windows in the upper story, causing the alarms on a few cars to go off as they stumbled and got their barrings.

"Rose?" The Doctor said, coming toward her.

"'M fine," She said despite the ringing in her ears.

"Jack, Martha?" He asked, looking at them. "Martha, what are you doing?" He asked sharply.

"He knows about me, what about my family?" She demanded, and Rose noted the cell phone in her hand.

"Don't tell them anything," The Doctor growled.

"I'll do what I like!" Martha yelled back, and Rose shifted to stand between her and the Time Lord. As Martha spoke to her mother, relief filled her voice for a moment before the panic took over.

"If he knows about Martha, what about me?" Rose asked quietly, watching Martha intently as she paced around on the sidewalk.

"I don't know," The Doctor said honestly. "I don't know anything." Rose looked up, seeing the darkness in his eyes, the concern that marred his face, the posture she knew he carried when he was trying to be strong and brave but felt helpless. She gripped his hand, but she felt nothing. Closed off, not surprising.

"Dad! What's going on? Dad?" Martha started screaming, looking to the others with wide eyed fear. "I gotta help them." She said before bolting toward a car a few spots down from her destroyed flat.

"That's exactly what they want," The Doctor warned, letting go of Rose's hand and running after Martha.

"This is getting out of control fast," Jack said as he took Rose's hand and ran with her to the car.

She nodded, though she didn't know if Jack had noticed. He opened the back door of the car and gave Rose a gentle push inside. She was barely over the middle cushion before Jack was scooting inside, shutting the door. Martha took off, and Rose tumbled about a bit before settling in the seat behind Martha.

She drove recklessly down the roads, taking corner's too sharply and running stop signs to the protest of other drivers. It occurred to Rose as she clung to the car door and Jack that there wasn't any sirens. Hadn't been any at all while the stood outside the destroyed flat, and now as they headed toward Martha's mother's home. So where was the law enforcement if not stopping a maniac driver who has likely had her plates phoned in, and who's flat in a posh neighborhood had exploded not fifteen minutes ago? She looked to Jack, and while she didn't have the connection with him she had with the Doctor, Rose knew without a doubt that the Captain was starting to wonder the exact same thing.

The car came to a sudden stop, Rose needing to brace herself with her hand against the driver's seat. Shaking the hair from her face, she noted the van with Martha's mother being loaded into the back. Around it were dozens of police officers with guns of various sizes all pointed toward them.

"Martha, reverse," The Doctor cried out in panic.

Their driver didn't need to be told twice, though with how recklessly she drove before Rose couldn't believe that this was the time she would choose to drive properly as she executed a three point turn. Half way through the turn, shots were fired.

"Move it!" Jack yelled, and no sooner had Martha finished the turn did a bullet fly through the back window, grazing Rose's shoulder.

"Bloody fucking hell!" She cried out, gripping the bloody, burning wound on her shoulder. The pain made her feel sick, and she swallowed back bile as it rose in her throat.

"Do you see what your carelessness has done?" The Doctor screamed.

"Oh, right, my carelessness!" Martha yelled back. "Picked a swell time and place to have him come back to."

"I couldn't let him go just anywhere. He needs to be stopped." The Doctor yelled back.

"He took my family at gun point and shot your girlfriend! Tell me how brilliant your plan was now."

"Would you two shut the hell up!" Rose yelled over both of them, silencing everyone in the car. "The only person whose bloody fault this is is the alien psychopath. Should the Doctor have known about him sooner? Maybe. Or maybe someone should have kept her bloody mouth shut when she saw the fob watch in the first place!" Rose growled, and the two parties in the front both looked perfectly chastised.

"Let me have a look at your shoulder, Rosie." Jack said, gently prying Rose's fingers away from the wound. He examined it gently. "Already showing signs of healing." He said, a little taken aback.

"Not all that surprised." Rose huffed, her nerves starting to make her body shake as shock set in now that the anger was out of her system. "So what do we do now?"

"We've gotta ditch the car." Jack said, authority in his voice. "Martha, we have to pull over now."

Martha nodded, glancing in the rear view mirror before pulling over to the side of the road. Jack got out first, holding the door open for Rose so she could get out on the shoulder of the road. The Doctor handed Jack the laptop before reaching for Rose. He took her hand and gently guided her out, holding her still as he looked at her shoulder himself, sending apologies to her through the gentle touch he laid on the skin around her wound. She nodded, not feeling strong enough to send it back mentally.

"Leo!" Martha exclaimed, and it was everything Rose could do not to charge over and rip the mobile out of Martha's hand. "Oh thank God! Leo, you gotta listen to me. Where are you?"

"Not very good at laying low, is she?" Rose noted bitterly as the Doctor took her hand firmly in his and started to walk away from the car.

"No," He bit out.

"Leo, just listen to me. Don't go home, I'm telling you. Don't phone Mum or Dad or Tish. You've gotta hide."

"Which is what we should be doing." Jack mumbled.

"Says the man who tried to call some friends himself," The Doctor noted, looking over his shoulder.

"Yes, but the friends I called could actually help." Jack replied.

"On my life," Martha begged her brother over the phone. "You've gotta trust me. Go to Boxer's, stay with him. Don't tell anyone just hide." She continued, and when her footsteps stopped, Rose, The Doctor, and Jack did too.

Martha looked terrified, frozen, like she couldn't move if she tried. "Let them go, Saxon." She said with fearful conviction. "Do you hear me?" She screamed as the Doctor moved toward her, taking Rose with him. "Let them go!" Martha screamed on last time before the Doctor yanked the phone from her shaky hand and put it to his ear.

"I'm here," He said, calm and evenly, holding tight to Rose's hand as he swiftly put distance between Martha and Jack.

With no traffic on the road, and Martha's shaky sobs a ways away, Rose could hear the Master on the other end of the line as he said, "Doctor," with a strange sense of love and admiration.

"Master," The Doctor replied, leading Rose to a bench and sitting down, shifting the phone so it was closer to her, a slight bit away from his ear.

"I like it when you use my name," The Master said, and his tone sent a shiver down Rose's spin hard enough that she convulsed a little.

"You chose it. Psychiatrist's field day." The Doctor replied, eyes shifting around him.

"As you chose yours," The Master replied. "The man who makes people better. How sanctimonious is that."

"So, Prime Minister." The Doctor changed the subject quickly.

"I know." The Master replied a little gleefully. "It's good, isn't it?"

"Who are those creatures?" The Doctor asked, looking at Rose, holding her eye. "'Cause there's no such thing as the Toclafane. It's just a made-up name like the Bogeyman."

"Do you remember all those fairy tales about the Toclafane when we were kids? Back home." The Master asked, and the Doctor's other hand fell on Rose's. He showed her a quick image of two young boys listening to tales told by an older man, the wonder in their eyes as they listened intently around a campfire that made the red grass beneath them look like flames as well. "Where is it, Doctor?" The Master asked, ending the image.

"Gone." The Doctor said, his walls firmly back up while his grip tightened on Rose's hand.

"How can Gallifrey be gone?" The Master asked

"It burnt."

There was a pause. "And the Time Lords?"

"Dead." The Doctor said, the pain in his hearts seeping through the walls he tried to hold up, making Rose clutch his hand tighter. "And the Daleks, more or less." The Doctor added with a tilt of the head. "What happened to you?" He asked the Master.

"The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be the perfect warrior for a Time War." The Master said, and when Rose narrowed her gaze in thought, the Doctor showed her what happened the last time he had seen the master. How the man was in a human's body, trying to take the Doctor's while he was in his eighth form. He had fallen into some sort of pit thing before it closed. "I was there," The Master continued, "when the Dalek Emperor took control of the Cruciform. I saw it. I ran. I ran so far. Made myself human so they would never find me because I was so scared."

"I know," The Doctor said with complete understanding.

"All of them?" The Master said thoughtfully. "But now you … which must mean?"

"I was the only one who could end it." The Doctor admitted, the pain in his eyes so strong that Rose was glad this conversation was happening over a phone. She noted Martha and Jack coming closer, and she gave a slight shake of the head to tell them to stay back. "And I tried," The Doctor added. "I did I tried everything."

"What did it feel like, though?" The Master asked with wonder. "Two almighty civilizations burning. Oh, tell me, how did it feel?" He asked with a blood lust in his voice that made Rose's lip curl.

"Stop it," The Doctor warned.

"You must have been like God." The Master said with a jealous undertone.

"And I've been alone ever since!" The Doctor bit out.

"No, no you haven't actually." The Master said, amused. "Because I've been here for a while, Doctor. You figured that out already, though, haven't you? But I have to admit that I couldn't get my hands on anything about you until that pitiful excuse of an organization, Torchwood, fell. It was so … amusing, watching the Daleks and the Cybermen battle over the Earth. Stayed hidden, of course. Let you clean up that mess. But there is one thing I noticed about you, and that's your little blonde companion at your side the whole time. Haven't come back to Earth much since that day though, have you? And it makes me wonder why, because while it took next to no time to find everything I could on Martha Jones, your little companion, your Rose Smith is no where to be found." He said, and the Doctor looked to Rose with wonder and confusion, his eyes wide before his brow furrowed. "No family or friends I can attempt to corrupt or coerce, yet I know she's from this city, this era, because your TARDIS has been landing her quite often since 2005. Who is she, Doctor? This girl who has apparently taken in the Time Vortex and lived, who is as fake and yet as real as I am?"

"Leave her out of this!" The Doctor snapped, on his feet and glaring at the ground as if it were the Master. The Storm raged in his eyes, his stance, the way his jaw was set.

The Master's laugh echoed through the speaker, but that was all Rose could hear as the Doctor put distance between them.

"What's going on?" Jack asked as he came up to her, and he and Martha joined Rose in following the Doctor as he continued his phone conversation as he headed down the road.

"The Master is goading him," Rose said. "First with the Time War, now with me."

"With you?" Jack asked.

"He doesn't know who I am." Rose said, looking up at Jack. "He thinks my name is Rose Smith, though I don't know how. He knows I've been with the Doctor for a while, and knows about the vortex thing I did somehow, but he can't find a way to get to me like he got to Martha," She said, looking at her apologetically.

Martha shrugged a shoulder, looking to the ground. "He probably remembers. Overheard you three talking while Jack fixed the couplings. The Doctor remembers things he heard as John, not surprising that the Master remembers things he heard as Yana."

Rose nodded, noting that the Doctor had stopped in front of a shop window. He then whirled around, looking up.

"He can see us," The Doctor growled, whipping out his sonic and pointing it upward. Rose didn't dare look where the others did, and she heard something crackle and pop behind her. A camera, she guessed. "He's got control of everything." He said as he closed Martha's cell phone.

"What do we do?" Martha asked.

"We run," Rose said firmly, looking to the Doctor who nodded once.

"We've got nowhere to go." Jack pointed out.

"We run anyway," The Doctor replied, leading the charge and taking off through a shopping arcade, ignoring the looks of people they ran past.


	27. The Sound of Drums pt 2

"How's your shoulder?" The Doctor asked as Rose examined the now scabbing wound.

"'S fine," She said, pulling her torn jumper and jacket over her shoulder. "I don't think I was hit as badly as everyone thought, and then given the circumstances." She said, sitting in the folding chair next to the Doctor inside the abandoned warehouse the quartet had chosen as their hideout.

It was dark out, a couple small lanterns Jack had found in a crate were the only light thanks to the Doctor's sonicing the rechargeable batteries inside. They'd found some folding chairs and empty crates, setting up a small sitting area where the laptop with it's now nearly ever lasting battery and ability to pick up wi-fi from great distances was essentially the centerpiece.

Rose watched the Doctor refreshed the various news feeds he had open, seeing no changes from fifteen minutes ago.

"I wish I knew what to say to you," He said quietly, glancing over at Jack who was a good distance away, back turned to them as he fiddled with his vortex manipulator. "Seems every time I get us back on track, something new comes up. We've been hiding more than we've been running, and the running hasn't been the good kind as of late."

"You don't have to say anything to me," Rose reassured. "Not in the way you think. 'S not your fault."

"But I should have sensed him right from the beginning. I should have … but I didn't. And now here we are, hiding in a warehouse, you've been shot, Martha's family in danger. Only good thing I can think of is your mother not being here. Watching them take Martha's mother was bad enough, but if I had to watch them take Jackie?" He huffed. "I'd have lost it."

"I never thought I would think of my mother being locked in another world as a good thing, but you're right. It's better that she's not here. Then again he can't seem to figure out who I am."

"Which is strange," The Doctor thought on it. "If he's been here that long. He did say he couldn't get to the records until after he was an elected official, and that was after Canary Wharf, but still. You're on the list of the dead, the dead don't just get wiped from the records."

"He called me Rose Smith," She pointed out. "When I went to the Lazarus party in disguise, that was the name I used. And back when we met Martha, in the hospital. I used Smith then, too. Like him, I just sorta popped up."

"I guess you did," The Doctor said thoughtfully. "Rose Tyler was reported missing, and then considered missing again after the battle, but Rose Smith has been around London a bit since then." The Doctor smirked. "Married and has a job as a journalist."

"Not married yet," She managed to tease him, tongue between her teeth.

He smirked. "That is one thing I will say that surprises me about him: married to a human." The Doctor snorted, "And before me, at that." He looked to Rose again, brushing her hair back behind her ear, and she felt his love came through, and closed her eyes against it, only now realizing it'd been a while since felt it like that.

Rose hummed happily, a grin pulling on her lips before she felt his against hers. She lifted her hand, fingers going to his jawline and feeling the light stubble with her thumb. She felt his fingers sift through the hair at the base of her neck, gently holding her to him. It wasn't strictly chaste, but it wasn't trying to head into anything heady, simply being an exchange of love that neither had shared and desperately needed after everything that happened.

The Doctor gently brushed his nose against Rose's before he rested his forehead against hers.

"You know it's one thing to hear you two say you're together," Jack's voice startled Rose away from the Doctor, turning toward her immortal friend. Jack was smiling almost wistfully, his eyes looking glassy in the low light. "It's another thing to actually see it."

"Sorry," The Doctor said, turning to the laptop and hitting the refresh button as his ears turned red.

"No, don't apologize." Jack said firmly. "You've no idea how happy I am that you two are truly, well, happy. Together."

Rose smiled at him, at a loss of what she could say but appreciative of it none the less.

The door on the far end of the warehouse closed with an echo that reverberated until Martha was a few feet away with two bags of takeaway in her hands.

"How was it?" Jack asked her as she set them down on the crate where the laptop was resting.

"I don't think anyone saw me." She said as she reached in the bag and started handing out food.

"Shoulda been me," Rose said as she took the container of food from Martha. "My face was the least visible, and I'm technically considered a dead woman."

"And you have a bullet hole in your jacket and a healing wound to go with it." Jack countered. "Martha was the least suspicious."

Rose shrugged, though she still wasn't so sure she agreed.

"Anything new?" Martha asked as she handed the Doctor a container of food.

"I've got this tuned into the government wavelength so we can follow what Saxon's doing." Jack said, gesturing to his manipulator before grabbing the Styrofoam container from Martha.

"Meant about my family." She replied.

"It still says Jones family taken in for questioning. Tell you what, though, no mention of Leo." The Doctor said as he opened his container and leaned back, propping his feet up on the edge of the crate. Rose shifted, resting her feet beside his as she started eating the glorious smelling fish and chips Martha brought back.

"He's not as daft as he looks." Martha said with a smile as she sat down. It fell a moment later. "I'm talking about my brother on the run. How did this happen?"

Rose and Jack met each other's eyes over the crate, glanced at the Doctor who was very interested in his trainers, and then back to one another.

"Nice chips," Jack said, lifting one with his fingers.

"Gorgeous." Rose replied. "Haven't had chips like these in forever." She popped on in her mouth, looking back at the Doctor who nodded in agreement. He noted her gaze, and flashed her a smile and a wink that made her grin back.

Jack cleared his throat, "So, Doctor, who is he?" He asked quite suddenly. "How come the ancient society of Time Lords created a psychopath."

"Jack," Rose admonished.

"And what is he to you?" Martha asked. "Like a colleague?"

"A friend, at first." The Doctor admitted, quite to Rose's surprise.

"I thought you were gonna say he was our secret brother or something," Martha mused.

"It doesn't matter who he is," Rose said firmly. "Just that he needs to be stopped."

"He's got my family," Martha countered. "I want to know why my being with the Doctor put them in danger. Not all of us have the luxury of not having family to worry about."

"Low blow, Jones." Jack said evenly, and Martha blushed and bowed her head before Rose could start giving her a piece of her mind. "But honestly," Jack continued. "How'd he get like this? The legends of Gallifrey made it sound so perfect."

"Well, perfect to look at, maybe." The Doctor said thoughtfully, dropping an arm around Rose's shoulders and playing with the ends of her hair. "And it was beautiful. They used to call it the Shining World of the Seven Systems. And on the Continent of Wild Endeavor, in the Mountains of Solace and Solitude stood the Citadel of the Time Lords." His caress touched her neck, and Rose's mind was flooded with the images he was describing to their friends. The high buildings in the glass dome reminded Rose of castles, but instead of brick and stone with rigid towers the were lovely structures of metal and glass. Some came to points like needles, others were simply rounded at the top. Set against the backdrop of those red mountains and the fields of matching grass, lit ablaze by the two suns, she realized that there was no way the Doctor could do his planet justice with words. She saw the trees with their silver leaves, and could almost smell the fragrance of the rose-like flowers that lined a field where two small boys ran about, a grand estate in the background.

The images faded, then the Doctor's fingers returned to toying with her hair.

"Children of Gallifrey," He continued, "are taken from their families at the age of eight to enter the Academy. Some say that's when it all began, when he was a child. As a novice, he was taken for initiation to the untempered schism. It's a gap in the fabric of reality through which could be seen the whole of the vortex. You stand there, eight years old, staring at the raw power of time and space. Some would be inspired, some would run away, and some would go mad."

"What about you?" Martha asked.

"Oh, one of the ones that ran away. I never stopped." The Doctor said, pulling his hand away from Rose's hair and resumed munching.

"I can't imagine letting my child go through that." Rose shook her head, imagining the Doctor as a boy, running away from the power he saw. Power, she knew, he never wanted.

"Good things you can't have children then," Martha said, looking surprised the words came out of her mouth. "Sorry." She murmured.

"'S alright." Rose shrugged.

"What do you mean you can't have kids?" Jack asked, looking between her an the Doctor. "Like an incompatibility thing between you two, or…?"

"Well, the compatibility would have been tricky," The Doctor said thoughtfully, looking to Rose without saying anything else. She held his eye a moment, understanding in the end that this was her story to tell, not his.

"Doctor said I took on the heart of the TARDIS, yeah? And you asked what I did to me if I could do … what I did to you. Well, I'm aging more slowly. So slowly, in fact, that I'm probably not going to look any older than thirty five when I … and that's not going to be for a long time. Centuries, actually." She explained, carefully avoiding mention the defining word of the end of her mortality more for the Doctor's sake than anything. "But with all the enhancements, like better healing, and faster thinking, I lost my ability to have children. The one adventure _we_ can never have." She said, feeling th Doctor's hand fall on her knee.

"You guys think of your future like that?" Martha asked while looking at the last bit of her food.

"Always have," The Doctor said. "Just didn't think I'd have someone who was willing to share it with me." He may not have noticed, but at his words Martha flinched. "Still wish I could give that to you though," He added, and Rose looked to see the sad smile on his face.

"Ten dogs should do," She replied, laughing as his smile fell away and he paled.

A beep came from Jack's direction, and he looked at his manipulator as he set his empty container on the crate. "Encrypted channel with files attached. Don't recognize it." He told them.

"Patch it through to the laptop." The Doctor said, gesturing to the device sitting on the crate.

Jack fidgeted, looking between Rose and the Doctor, eyes falling mostly to Rose. "Um, since we're telling stories. There's, uh, there's something I haven't told you."

"What?" Rose asked, the last of her laughter still in her voice before the fear in Jack's eyes made all the humor fall away.

He got up, bringing his chair over to the other side of the crate and placed it in front. He typed a few things on the laptop in a browser, took a deep breath, let out a nervous exhale, then hit enter.

And Rose's heart dropped into her stomach as she looked at the Torchwood logo with the damning company name beneath it for good measure.

"Jack," She whimpered, finding it hard to look at him.

"You work for Torchwood?" The Doctor growled.

"I swear to you both, it's different!" Jack defended quickly, once again putting his focus more on Rose. "It's changed, there's only a half dozen of us now."

"Probably because they were all killed by their own stupidity back at Canary Wharf. Where I lost everything." Rose's voice continued to rise and break with every word.

"That was the old regime. I rebuilt it, changed it after it fell." He looked to the Doctor. "I did it for you, in your honor," He looked back to Rose, "In your memory."

The Doctor looked to Rose over Jack's head, his anger felt even without them touching, slowly fading as Rose couldn't return it in equal. She ached, she was angry, but she loved Jack too much to hate him. And since he was Jack she was inclined to believe him, at least until his word was proven false.

When the tension settled a bit, the Doctor reached over to the laptop and opened the file, a video with an unfamiliar older woman looking back at them.

"If I haven't returned to my desk by twenty-two hundred hours, this file will be emailed to Torchwood." She said. "Which means, if you're watching this, then I'm..." Rose swallowed as the woman on camera looked away, taking a moment to keep herself together. "Anyway, the Saxon files are attached. But take a look at the Archangel document. That's when it all started. When Harold Saxon became Minister in charge of launching the Archangel Network." The woman pushed a button, and a blueprint of something came up in her place, then switched to a cartoon style image of the Earth with 15 satellites pointed around it.

"What's the Archangel Network?" The Doctor asked, looking to Jack, and then likely to Martha.

"I've got Archangel. Everyone's got it," She replied, handing the Doctor her phone.

"It's the mobile network," Jack explained. "Look, it's gone worldwide. Even the other networks are carried by Archangel." He pointed out.

The Doctor popped the back of Martha's phone, handed the piece to Rose before running his sonic over the exposed back.

"It's in the phones! Oh, I said he was a hypnotist." The Doctor proclaimed like a child.

"Why, what's he done?" Rose asked, standing to see if she could glean any insight by watching what the Doctor was doing.

The Doctor pretty much ignored her, tongue curling out the corner of his mouth as he focused. Then he bent down suddenly, tapping Martha's phone against the crate despite her protest. And then it started. "There it is," the Doctor said with quiet triumph. "That rhythm, it's everywhere. Ticking away in the subconscious."

"What is it, mind control?" Martha asked.

"No, no, subtler than that. Any stronger and people would question it."

"It's suggestion," Rose realized. "The rhythm in the phones that people use constantly. Then when he starts campaigning the sound is somehow, I dunno, layered, or played in the background." She tried to articulate, suddenly finding that she was thinking too fast, and a headache started to form.

"Exactly," The Doctor said, his mind so focused and his attention so drawn to the phone that he didn't notice Rose slink back down to the chair, fingers pressed into her temples as she closed her eyes blocked him out.

She knew that his gob was still running, as it always did when he was on to something like this, but she didn't dare listen. Her thoughts were jumbled, and Rose went inside her own mind to sort them out. Slowly she was able to calm it down, the random running thoughts that made so much sense and yet she couldn't fully comprehend tucking themselves away like files in a drawer. Her headache receding, she sighed with relief.

"Rosie?" Jack's voice made her eyes fly open, and she looked up at him looking at her with concern, the Doctor having just noticed the ball she had curled herself into. "You alright?" Jack asked as the Doctor dropped to his knees in front of her.

"'M fine." Rose replied with a smile. "My mind just got away from me. Gave me a headache."

The Doctor put his fingers on Rose's temples without permission, though the concern he had flooded over her the instant their skin touched, and she made no effort to block him out of her mind when he slowly entered it.

" _Your mind has gotten bigger,_ " He noted internally. " _It's neater than your room used to be, that's for sure._ "

"Oi," Rose said out loud, causing the Doctor to laugh out loud, and Jack and Martha to look confused.

" _I don't see where the pain is._ " He noted.

" _I calmed my mind already,_ " Rose replied. " _Just got away from, 's all._ "

He pulled out of her mind slowly, kissing her forehead before taking away his touch and his hum of love.

"Right, now!" He said as he bounced back up on his feet. "I have work to do. And I'm sorry, Martha, but I'm going to owe you a new laptop. And phone.

* * *

 

Martha's laptop probably had a good run, or at least that's what Rose hoped as she looked at the discarded bits of it around the warehouse floor. Her mobile was in hard shape too, if it still had a shape at all, and Rose genuinely wondered how the Doctor was ever going to make this up to her.

"Our TARDIS keys," He said, holding out three of them on a rope and Rose's on her chain. "Four pieces of the TARDIS with low-level perception properties because the TARDIS is designed to blend in."

"But she doesn't" Rose teased with her tongue poking out of her smile as she stood facing the Doctor, flanked by Martha and Jack.

"Well, she sorta does. Anyway, the Archangel Network's got a second low-level signal. Weld the key to the network and," He took one of the keys and put the rope around his neck. Jack and Martha shifted, but Rose stared ahead. "Can you see me?" He asked.

"Yes," Rose said while Jack and Martha shifted their heads about, squinting their eyes.

"Ah, but you _want_ to see me." The Doctor said, clicking his tongue and winking at her which only made Rose roll her eyes. "Jack," He said, taking off the key from around his neck and chucking it to the Captain with ease.

Rose moved to stand beside the Doctor, watching Jack slip the key around his neck then ….

"Blimey, that's …."

"It just shifts your perception a tiny bit. Won't make us invisible, just unnoticed." The Doctor explained.

"Aww, don't want to see me Rosie?" Jack teased, though Rose wasn't entirely sure where he was. She squinted, shifting her head around in an attempt to see him.

"I do," She reassured. "Why do you think I'm willin' to give myself another bloody headache tryin'?" She asked with a grin and getting a chuckle out of Martha.

Her chain with the TARDIS key came into view, and as the Doctor slipped it around her neck, Jack became clearer. "We'll be able to see each other fine." He said, stepping away from her when the clasp on her chain was secure. He dropped the next TARDIS key around Martha's neck, and she stopped squinting instantly. As the Doctor put the last key around his neck he returned to stand beside Rose.

"When we're out there, don't run. Don't shout. Draw attention to yourself and the spell is broken. Just keep to the shadows."

"Like ghosts," Jack nodded.

"Yeah, that's what we are. Ghosts," the Doctor nodded.

"Some of us more than others." Rose mumbled.

"Rose," Jack said as the Doctor and Martha turned to leave the warehouse. He looked at her with sincerity. "I'm sorry. About what Torchwood did, about not telling you I work for them when I found out you were alive."

"You don't need to apologize." Rose smiled, moving toward him with her arms open to embrace him.

He took it, crushing her against him. "I'm still just so happy you're alive. And that you will be for a long time."

"Me too," She chuckled, kissing his cheek before she stepped back. Taking Jack's hand, the two of them caught up with Martha and the Doctor where Rose quickly fell in step with the Time Lord. Jack's hand was traded for his, and they walked in the darkened streets of London.

* * *

 

The Master is an ass. Far more childish than Rose had ever seen the Doctor behave, though maybe that's because being a bloody psychopath causes one to lose their sense of maturity. Standing in the rain, holding the Doctor's hand with Jack on her other side, she watched the Master as Harold Saxon make a mockery of the country he represented to the President of the United States.

As the President left to prepare to board the Valiant, Saxon leaned into his wife with a mischievous smirk before sending her off. The he turned and looked right at them. Or maybe not _right_ at them, but it was like he could tell they were there.

The police siren made her startle, and the Doctor tightened his grip on her hand.

" _It's alright_ ," He soothed in her mind, sending her some reassurance to help lower her heart rate as they watched the Master gleefully run up to the police van that parked on the runway.

He laughed a true evil laugh as the doors opened and Martha's family were escorted out.

"Oh my God," Martha gasped and Rose felt the Doctor shift to stop her.

"Don't move," he reminded, "Don't." He let slip some of his anger and frustration before he put up a wall and stopped the flow between them.

"I'm gonna kill him," Martha said with a conviction Rose could get behind as the Jones' were moved into a black SUV, Martha's parents putting up a good fight but failing.

"Say I use the perception filter to walk up behind him and break his neck?" Jack suggested casually,

"Now that sounds like Torchwood." The Doctor said bitterly.

"Still a good plan," Jack defended as the Master moved toward another waiting vehicle where his wife was likely waiting for him.

"He's a Time Lord, which makes him my responsibility," The Doctor said with the weight of the storm in his voice. "I'm not here to kill him, I'm here to save him."

"You can't save everyone." Rose said as the Master climbed inside the vehicle.

"I owe it to myself, and to him, to try." The Doctor added, and Rose looked up when she felt his gaze on her too intensely to be ignored. He was firm in his decision, and he wanted her to see that. He would not be a killer again, not if it could be avoided.

"I have this set to the Valiant." Jack said breaking the fraction of tension. "Works as a teleport since you revamped it, Doc."

"My family's on board," Martha said quickly, stepping into Rose's view and staring down the Doctor.

"Hands on Jack," He said as he took one last look out toward the Master. The three of them touched the manipulator on Jack's wrist.

Not unlike a punch to the gut, the teleport knocked the breath out of Rose. Straightening her back that ached as well, she heard Jack groan.

"Oh that thing is rough." Martha commented with a moan as well.

"I've had worse nights," Jack said as he cracked his neck. "Welcome to the Valiant."

"It's dawn," Martha commented as she moved to a port hole with a slight limp.

"Was that intentional?" Rose asked, finally feeling like herself.

"Oh yes," The Doctor said as he moved like the teleport hadn't fazed him at all. "Why wait around all night when we can jump right to the main event?" He said before stopping short. Rose came up beside him and heard a soft, agonized hum that wasn't the engines surrounding them. "Do you hear that?" He asked her, his grin growing full and wide.

"Yeah." She replied, mirroring it.

The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her toward the sound.

"Hey, where are you going?" Jack asked, flustered. Rose heard his heavy footfalls coming up behind them, Martha's lighter ones not far behind.

"What is it?" Martha called to them as quietly as she could. "Is it my family?"

"It's ours," Rose smiled to Martha before the Doctor pulled her around the corner. He came to a door and threw it open, chuckling with delight.

"Oh at last!" He said, his hand already going to the key around his neck before he took a step toward the old girl.

"Oh darling, you have been missed," Rose said, darting to the corner and giving it a stroke. The TARDIS didn't hum in her mind, not the way she normally would, and no more than a groan of pain. "What is it?" Rose asked as the Doctor got inside. "What's wrong?"

"Rose!" He yelled, sounding scared and angry, and Rose darted inside the TARDIS to see what was the matter.

Everything glowed red, reflecting the ships pain and likely her anger at whatever the Master had done to her. The console and the time rotor were entirely caged off, the Doctor kneeling down and looking at something.

She started toward the middle, hand extended to comfort the ship.

"Don't touch her," The Doctor said, reaching up and grabbing Rose's wrist.

"What the hell happened?" Jack asked as if he had finally found his voice. He was on the other side of what should have been the console, looking just as upset as Rose felt about the beloved ship's condition.

"He's cannibalized the TARDIS," The Doctor spat.

"What's that mean?" Martha asked, sounding more panicked than concerned. Which, Rose supposed, made sense seeing as how she was the least connected to the old girl out of the four of them.

"It means he's turned the ship into a paradox machine." The Doctor ground out, tapping his knuckle against a gage attached to the metal grating caging in the rotor. "As soon as this hits red, it activates. At this speed it'll trigger," He grabbed Jack's other wrist, looking at his watch. "Two minutes past eight."

"First contact is at eight, and then two minutes later…." Jack noted.

"And it's being televised," Rose reminded them. "To the world. What ever he's planning the world will be watching itself fall to his mercy …."

"Unless we stop him." Jack nodded.

"So we've got to get to the Master," Martha added with determination.

"We will." The Doctor said as she slowly stood up.

"But what do we do when we get there?" Jack asked. "How do we stop him?"

"I've got a way," The Doctor said, and Rose arched a brow. He simply grinned, turning abruptly and leaving the TARDIS.

"I'm sorry," Rose said to the ship. The TARDIS weak and in pain, stroked Rose's mind once. In that one wave, Rose felt the poor girl's bravery, and her asking Rose to do the same.

She followed the others outside, catching up to them as they weaved their way down the corridors with the Doctor leading the way.

"So what's the plan?" Jack asked the question on Rose's mind as she managed to pass Martha to flag the Doctor.

The Doctor lifted the TARDIS key around his neck. "If I can get this around the Master's neck, cancel out his perception, they'll see him for real, as a danger."

"And what happens if you get caught?" Rose demanded.

He glanced at her quickly, fleetingly, the look in his eyes painfully familiar. "You all have keys, too."

"That we do," Jack said firmly.

"I'll get him," Martha growled out.

Rose grabbed the Doctor's hand and forced him to stop. He spun around, looking at her with confusion in his dark, stormy eyes, and Rose heard Jack and Martha pause too.

"This is all too familiar." Rose said.

"How so?" The Doctor asked.

"About to go up against someone or something bent on murder and destruction with a plan seemingly so fail proof it has to work." He quirked and eyebrow at her reasoning. "Like opening the void and letting Dalek's and Cybermen fly in. Only one of the switches fail, and we almost lose each other."

"Rose," He said calmly but she shut up him by grabbing his head and bringing his lips to hers.

"Just in case," She breathed when she broke away, only to find his mouth back on hers a moment later, his tongue caressing hers, gentle yet intimate.

"Just in case." He said agreed as he stepped away from her, continuing the way he was heading before. Rose didn't care that Jack beamed at her like a fool, or that Martha held herself tightly as she looked at the floor while she turned to follow the Doctor. Rose wasn't about to consider the thoughts or feelings of others when everything around her seemed so off, wrong, like the end was coming and they just couldn't see it.

Like five seconds wouldn't be long enough this time.

The four of them made it to a conference type room, slipping inside as the the President of the United states was giving his address to the world.

"I give you the Toclafane," He said, and the room applauded as the metal spheres appeared around him. "My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President-Elect of the United States of America and designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the planet Earth, and its associated moon."

Giving Rose's hand a quick squeeze, the Doctor slowly started to move forward, key poised to be lifted off his neck though not yet removed.

"You're not the Master," A masculine sounding voice came from one of the Toclafane.

"We like the mister Master." A childish, girly sounding voice came from another.

"We don't like you," Another male voice came threateningly from the last.

"I … can be master, if you wish." The President said, trying to focus on a Toclafane but not able to do so as the hovered and circled him. Rose glanced at the Doctor who was painfully close to the Master. Her heart hammered erratically, and she found herself chewing her thumb as she watched him creep closer. A massive part of her longed to run over and yank him back, prevent him from doing this, but the smaller, calmer part of her mind knew this likely their only way to stop something that could destroy the world.

"Man is stupid." Said the Toclafane who last spoke.

"Master is our friend," Said the first.

"Where's my Master? Pretty Please?" Said the girly one.

The Doctor lifted his key a little higher.

"Oh, alright, then! It's me!" The Master stood abruptly, and the Doctor fell back a step, looking around the room and glancing at them as the Master leapt up on to the stage-like platform beside Winters. "Sorry, sorry, I have this effect. People just get obsessed! Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself? Ha, ha, ha, I don't know, it's crazy!" He said as he looked around the room and then into the cameras.

"Saxon, what are you talkin' about?" The President asked, frustrated.

The Master let his smile drop as he turned to the President. "I'm taking control, Uncle Sam. Starting with you." He turned to the Toclafane. "Kill him."

It all happened so fast and yet painfully slow. The President was shot, guards shouted as people tried to escape, Jack pulling Rose toward him protectively before he lost his grip and she made to try to stop the Doctor as he removed his key too hastily. A Guard grabbed him, then another, forcing him down on his knees and getting Rose to stop in her tracks.

"We meet at last, Doctor." The Master said with a caress of the Doctor's name. "Oh, how I love saying that."

"Stop this, stop it now!" The Doctor growled out.

"As if a perception filter's gonna work on me." The Master said with a grin, looking straight at Rose now. She felt her stance becoming defensive without realizing she was shifting. "Oh and look, it's your little pet. Still can't figure out who or what she is, though I'm more or less leaning toward your toy. Is she the one who screams 'save me, Doctor' every time you land somewhere new? Does she make you feel like, oooh, like a hero getting his reward?" The Master asked, twitching his eyebrows suggestively.

"Leave her alone!" Jack rushed toward him.

"Jack, stop!" Rose tried to warn, but the Master was quick to draw something out of his pocket and point it at Jack. A beam of light hit him in the chest, and with a groan of pain, the Captain collapsed to the floor. Martha ran over to him, and Rose found herself torn between doing the same or staying near the Doctor.

"Laser screwdriver! Who'd have sonic?" The Master explained, giving his screwdriver a little toss. "And the good thing is, he's not dead for long, I get to kill him again!" He laughed as if it was the most fun thing in the Universe.

"Master, just calm down." The Doctor tried to reason. "Just look at what you're doing. Just stop. If you could see yourself …."

The Master opened his mouth, stopping as he seemed to remember something. Turning to the camera, he smiled. "Oh, do excuse me. Little bit of personal business, be back in a minute." He then looked to the guards as he slowly sauntered down the platform. "Let him go."

They did as told after giving the Doctor a shove to the floor.

"It's that sound," the Doctor tried to reason. "The sound in your head. What if I could help?"

The Master dropped to sit on the stairs across from the Doctor, and it was taking every bit of strength Rose had not to go to him, to resist attacking the Master with her bare hands as he looked at the man she loved with a crazy, predatory gaze.

"Oh how to shut him up?" He said, miming with his free hand like had was making puppet speak. "I know! Memory lane. Professor Lazarus, remember him and his genetic manipulation device? Couldn't resist checking out what he was doing, could you? It worked, of course, the technology portion. It was the machine that failed him, altered his DNA, caused his untimely death. But the technology, ooh, wasn't it sound. And you know what? Being his only backer meant I got easy access to it, managed to concentrate it into one, little screwdriver." He said with a grin, wiggling his device between his fingers before faking a pout. "But, ooh, if I only had the Doctor's biological code. Oh, wait a minute!" He perked up before leaping to his feet and rushing to a silver case sitting on a table. "I do!" he said with flourish as he opened the case to show off the Doctor's severed hand. "And if Lazarus can make himself younger, I can use the same technology to age you about, oh I dunno, a hundred years." The Master aimed his screwdriver at the Doctor.

As the Doctor screamed in agony, Rose turned away, seeing Jack hand Martha his vortex manipulator. He looked to her, met her eye, and mouthed. "Teleport."

She shook her head.

"Please," He begged silently, his eyes showing how badly he wanted her gone and safe.

She turned back to the Doctor just as the screaming stopped, seeing his beautiful body was aged to a weak elderly form.

"Doctor," She barely managed to say before rushing to his side, catching him as he started falling to his knees, holding him as tight as she dared. His brown eyes looked into hers, full of regret.

"The Toclafane," The Doctor barely managed to say. "What are they?"

The Master smiled with a mock sympathy. "Doctor, if I told you the truth, your hearts would break." He gave the Doctor a pat on the cheek, moving before Rose could snarl or make to hit him. Hopping back up on the platform, he ignored them, addressing his likely no longer adoring public.

" _I failed you_ ," The Doctor's mental voice sounded the same, though perhaps a little weakened.

" _You didn't_ ," Rose replied, tears in her eyes as she reached to brush his cheek. Martha was at her side a moment later, the fear evident in her shaking form and wide eyes.

"Girls," The Doctor's old voice whispered. "There's only one thing left you can do. Use the manipulator, leave."

"Not leavin' you," Rose said as firmly as she could while her heart started breaking.

"Precious girl, please." The Doctor said, and he must of known his term of endearment for her would cause her to listen more attentively, because she gave up her fight right then. "The World's watching, they see him now. They heard someone standing up to him, but I don't … I don't know if they saw me. It doesn't matter if they did, not really. Just that they know there's someone out there who will stand up to him."

"What do we do?" Martha asked him quietly.

"Tell them a story, tell them all our stories, make them believe in me." He said.

"What good will it do?" Rose asked, not meaning it unkindly.

The Doctor pointed as discreetly as he could to a monitor.

_364 days 23 hours 54 minutes._

"I don't know exactly what he plans to do," The Doctor whispered. "But on that day, at the time …."

"If everyone in the world thinks the same thing, it could be so powerful it could stop the Master." Rose figured it out.

The Doctor's old face smiled. "Clever girl."

"Stories." Martha said, "So we get them to think of … you." He nodded once. "Then what are we waiting for," Martha's voice cracked, and Rose saw she was crying quietly. She gently took one of Rose's hands off the Doctor, placing it on Jack's manipulator that Martha clutched in her hand.

"Wait," Rose implored, and Martha hesitated before pausing, her finger a hair's breath from pressing the button.

Rose looked into the Doctor's eyes, seeing that he believed in her with the smile that shined within them.

She kissed him quickly, "I love you."

He smiled, his wrinkled fingers caressing her cheek, wiping away the tears, flooding her with the intensity her words made him feel.

" _I love you, too._ " His voice was the one she was used to, since it was in her mind, and Rose wasn't sure it made it any better. A moment later, he was gone, and the gut punch feeling that remained was from so much more than the teleport.

Martha's arms wrapped around her neck, and Rose clutched to her like a life line as they both took a moment to give in to their broken hearts and collect themselves.

"My family's up there." Martha wept.

"So's mine," Rose said, swallowing back her grief. The two women looked at each other, seeing the pain and loss that they were both facing, the seemingly impossible task that they were given together. At once, they both tucked their pain away, their expressions matching determination as they helped each other to their feet.

Turning together, they watched from the empty field they landed in as billions of Toclafane descended on London, on Earth, with the screams of the innocent filled the air.

Their hands found one another, and grasping to each other tightly they headed toward the city, facing the Master's Apocalypse side by side.


	28. Mad World

The beach on Solodaris 4 was exactly as she remembered from when the Doctor took her after the incident with Donna. And Rose laid beneath the shade of the beach umbrella wearing the same bathing suit she had worn the first time. The Doctor, though, was in much less clothing. She felt his cool skin over most of her body with only his swim trunks interrupting the pleasant feeling.

"It's nice," he said, adjusting his sunglasses.

"It is," Rose replied, reaching around behind her and scratching lightly at his hair.

He hummed deep in his throat. "Would be nicer if we were alone." He said in a deep, husky voice before nipping at her ear.

"Oi," Martha's voice came from behind before she plopped down beside them. "You brought us here."

"That I did." The Doctor said, running his fingers over Rose's arm.

"So are you guys just going to lay on the beach, or are you going to go swimming?" Jack asked, coming around the other side of them but not sitting down.

"Oh I'm pretty sure we're going to stay right here." Rose replied, smiling up at Jack with her tongue between her teeth.

"Of course you will," He said, smiling back and shaking his head. "Just be careful of sand, it's not pleasant when it gets in certain places."

"I'll go with you." Martha said, getting to her feet. "Especially if those two are going to be all over each other." Her hand fell into Jack's, and the two of them ran off giggling toward the water.

No sooner had their back been turned did the Doctor start placing wet kisses on Rose's neck.

"I always hate when they take off," Rose said with a sigh.

"Why?" The Doctor asked, lifting his sunglasses and looking at Rose with confusion.

She smiled sadly. "It means I'm going to wake up soon." She admitted.

"Rose!" Martha's voice called out.

And in an instant, Rose was no longer on a beach. She was no longer wrapped in the cool embrace of her Time Lord while her friends flirted mercilessly as they frolicked on perfect sand. She sat up from the mat she slept on, her body aching though she ignored it. Martha crouched beside her, her hair pulled back in a tight bun, her backpack already in place.

"Sorry," She said sincerely, looking Rose over.

Rose stretched, adjusted her snug black vest before grabbing her leather jacket from where she used it as a pillow. "'S fine." She said as she shrugged on the garment and zipped it up. "Probably shouldn't have been sleeping so long."

"Not like you've gotten much of it," Martha reminded her gently as she handed Rose her backpack.

She shouldered it. "'M fine," She brushed it off, nodding toward the exit of the warehouse housing the rebel group they spent the night with. Around them, the next shift prepared themselves as they checked guns and listened to team leaders give instructions for the day, likely which cargo trucks they were going to hit and where they were going to take the divided spoils.

"Ladies," A ruggedly handsome bloke greeted them with his American accent. "We're going to be sad to see you go."

"Sure you are, Mitch," Martha teased with a grin as she allowed him to help her into the back of the jeep. Rose smiled, allowed him to help, but said nothing.

"Alright, we can take you as far as the New York state line," A tiny woman with half her head shaved told them as she buckled in. "Beyond that, and it's a risk."

"We appreciate your taking us that far." Rose said sincerely as she shifted her bag to rest between her legs.

The woman snorted. "Ya kidding? You brought hope. You brought a fucking end game to all this bull shit. Seems a ride while we get supplies is the least we can do."

At that, Rose genuinely smiled, her soul warming a bit as she absentmindedly ran her finger over her ring.

The bloke got in the front seat by the woman, and they were off.

It was the same scene everywhere they went: Cities reduced to nothing or turned to work camps where weapons for Universal domination were made on a massive scale. One of survivors groups explained that there were people recruited at least once a month to replace those who worked themselves to death, fallen ill, or decided they didn't want to be a slave to a lunatic and got themselves killed. Some went because they were starved and couldn't take it. Others went as a sacrifice, giving their lives in attempts to hinder the Master's plans.

It was hard in the beginning, walking into these rebel camps or survivor villages with nothing more to offer them than words. The desolate living situations these terrified, innocent people had found themselves in broke Rose's already fragile heart, but after time it gave her hope. Because they were _surviving_. Like the Doctor had pointed out at the end of the Universe, the human race was resilient. Some crossed over to the dark side, as it were. There was always that base instinct to drift toward the powerful no matter how psychotic they are, but others stood up and endured.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Handsome bloke said over his shoulder, eyeing Rose's hands.

"What?" She asked, leaning forward to hear him better.

"Said 'sorry'," He said, pointing to her ring. "'Bout your spouse."

"He's not dead." Rose said with a shake of her head, keeping her expression and voice as even as possible.

"Well he's not with you. These days if they aren't right there beside you, they're dead."

"He's not." Rose said firmly.

"How do you know?" Bloke asked.

Rose looked him straight in the eye. "'Cause I just do," And then sat back as the girl driving chastised her partner for being such a jerk.

Martha looked over at her, eyebrow raised in question but Rose remained firm on her answer. Her vagueness was intentional, and despite Martha's constant wondering if it was the right thing to do, Rose remained firm.

_3 Months Earlier_

"We need to settle on a story, something we can tell them." Rose said as she studied a rack of sport vests, spotting three black ones in her size. Pulling two off, she stuffed them in her black hiker's backpack.

"Where has he been?" Martha asked as she studied the long sleeved versions of the same item, shoving a couple in her backpack as well. "Around the Earth? I know New York, of course, and England. Can we gear it to specific places?"

Rose shook her head as she shrugged off her leather jacket and peeled off her t-shirt. "He's been coming here for centuries but he's never told me all the places he's been." She said as she grabbed the last black vest her size off a rack and pulled it on. She shed her bra, allowing the built in one to do the work. One less item to have to worry about keeping clean. "We should just tell him what we know, what he's done for Earth. The Sycorax, yeah? That was a world wide thing. I was there, right there beside him. I can tell that story." She said, figuring it would probably be a good idea to leave out the part where he was in a healing coma for a bit.

Martha nodded. "And I can tell the story of the hospital, though it won't be as relatable across the pond." She admitted as she grabbed four pairs of socks and tossed two pairs to Rose.

She caught them and tossed them into her bag. "No, but after a bit you'll know my stories by heart too." She reminded as she noted the durable looking trousers. Snug as they would be, they'd likely be more comfortable than her denim, and they would fold up small like leggings. Grabbing a couple extras, she tossed them in her pack before working on the button of her jeans.

"I guess," Martha said slowly, watching Rose. "Brave one, aren't you?"

Rose snickered, looking around at the empty store, lit only with emergency lighting, the alarm having gone ignored long ago. It was dark out, the Toclafane having finished their initial sweep, and those who survived were either in hiding or were led away. "Who's gonna see? Even if they could?" Rose asked, flicking her TARDIS key to prove a point as before shimmying out of her jeans. Martha snorted. "Yes?"

"I can not believe I'm saying this, but those would not be the knickers I'd have expected you to wear considering who would see them."

Rose looked down, seeing her blue Star Trek boy shorts and blushing as she smiled. "Inside Joke." She said before grabbing another pair of the trousers and pulling them on. "Blimey these things are comfortable." She said, trying to keep the light tone they'd fallen into since entering the abandoned shop.

The Sporting Goods place had been Martha's idea, telling Rose how her Dad used to always take them camping with freeze-dried food because she and Leo could carry it easily. Rose agreed, adding that neither of them were dressed for the task ahead. When they first entered they noticed the place was ransacked, but who ever did it didn't think to grab (or maybe didn't need to grab) the very things they would need. A bit of luck for them, at least, and after each loading about two months worth of freeze-dried food and protein bars in hiker's backpacks, squishing down as much as they could, they each added a couple thermal blankets and a couple water bottles.

The clothes had come next, and while Martha was reluctantly changing in front of the large, store front window Rose was scoping out the boots. "We should get some soap." She said as she found a pair of boots her size, pulling them on and tightening the laces. They went up nearly to her knee, but she could already tell they would be just as comfortable and would last longer than her trainers. "I know it's a luxury, but…"

"No, I agree." Martha said. "Hygiene's going to …."

"Yeah," Rose said slowly. "Exactly." She went to the check out, seeing the little travel sized things and found a pair of tooth brushes. Toothpaste wouldn't last, but least they could pretend.

"So we tell stories of how the Doctor saved the world, then what?" Martha asked, and when Rose glanced over at her she noted her friend had fully changed her clothes. "Just say to think about him on this day at this time?"

"More or less, though I'm sure we'll say it better." Rose mused, brushing her hair back and catching the way the light caught her ring. She looked at it, barely remembering it was there most of the time with the way it became somewhat apart of her. "We should leave me out of it." She said quietly, though Martha turned around from the display of boots. "Me, as in his partner me." Rose clarified. "I won't lie if people ask, but I don't want that to be part of the story."

"Seriously?" Martha asked. When Rose nodded she scoffed. "What is it with you two and your keeping it to yourselves. If he loved me the way he loves you I'd shout it out to the Universe."

"It's not how we work," Rose shook her head. "I don't want people to be thinking of the Doctor's lover walking the Earth and pleading for people to think of him. I want people to pass on the stories told by his companions of how wonderful he is, brave and selfless. The Bad Wolf, destroyer of Daleks, that is nothing compared to what he is."

"Bad Wolf?" Martha asked before ducking out of Rose's sight, the sound of a shoe hitting the floor shortly after.

"'S what I called myself when I took on the vortex," Rose explained with a wave Martha likely couldn't see. "But when I did that, I did it to protect him, to save him and all of space and time. Because in the end he is far more important than any of us. The world, the Universe, may not realize they need him but they do. I just made sure he would still be around to be it's protector, just like I'm going to do now." Martha popped up, and when she did she gave Rose a good, long look. "What?"

"I had you so wrong," She said with a bit of a laugh on her voice. "Not once have I ever pegged you right. I don't know why, maybe it was jealousy, or maybe it's because of where you came from, but so often I saw you as the one the Doctor took in because he had to. His best mate and nothing more. I glimpsed the brave, and I got hints of the cleverness, but this," She gestured to Rose up and down, "this is you. This is who you really are."

Rose looked down at herself as if her new clothes would somehow show her what Martha was seeing. "Yeah, it is." She agreed, though she didn't know what it meant. What was Martha seeing that she couldn't?

She didn't ask, simply picking her leather jacket off the floor and putting it on despite the bullet hole in the shoulder. A couple small first aid kits and some soap later, the girls shrugged on their packs, checked that it was as safe as possible, then stepped out into the night.

* * *

 

_Present Day_

They walked. It may have been August, but there was no hot sun beating down on them as they walked along the deserted, broken highway. It was cold, and gray, with rain threatening them more and more the closer they got to New York City. They had no rain gear, something they realized early on but both decided was not crucial enough to seek out. Not yet anyway. So they carried on, even though they're legs ached, and their backs were sore, because neither wanted to be out in the rain long and their best chance for shelter was on the horizon.

"Looks different," Martha noted evenly.

"Yeah," Rose agreed. "Skyline's destroyed."

And it was. Though the city was still a ways off, the destruction caused by he Toclafane cull could be spotted from a great distance. Most of the tall buildings were half the size they normally would be, glass blown out so they were no more than dark, steel structures. The statue of Liberty, Rose noted, looked distinctly more masculine than she recalled.

But all of that became irrelevant as a hum came from the air behind them, the whir of something mechanical, and they froze.

Two metal spheres moved right over their heads, causing Rose and Martha to join hands instantly as they watched them go by.

"Which means," Rose muttered, she and Martha moving as slowly as possible to the side of the road as he sound of an engine came rolling up behind them. Always that pattern, a pair or small group of Toclafane, followed by an Jeep or three of armed containment force officers.

The jeep breezed past them, with no one inside turning in their direction at all. When they were barely more than specs on the horizon, they let out a sigh of relief. Returning to the road, they let go of one another but they stayed close. It wasn't like running with the Doctor, Rose didn't find she needed a hand to hold so much as she longed for a specific one. And Martha, while she was an excellent support and probably her best friend in these circumstances, was not someone she wanted to cling to.

That felt odd, and as they fell into a comfortable silence part of Rose's brain started wandering at the thought. She knew full well that if Jack had been the one she was walking with they would have been hand in hand the whole time, no question. But somehow with Martha the desire simply wasn't there unless they needed to know where the other was. And like so many other things Rose's massive mind wandered and pondered over during the last ninety-two days, it was just one more thing Rose realized was unfair to the woman beside her.

They arrived in the city, pausing as they came to stand in front of a fallen brass stature. A flock of pigeons flew over head, their coos and the wind the only sound in the city that had sadly fallen asleep.

Rose whistled once, loud and sharp, and Martha followed it by three short consecutive ones. A long pause, and then the sound was returned from their left.

Heading toward it, a young girl poked her head out from behind a metal support beam. She squinted at them at first, then her eyes widen and she smiled.

"You're really real." She had said when they were only a few feet away. "We've heard stories, of course, coming down from Maine, but here you are."

"What's your name?" Rose asked.

"Kim," She replied.

"And I suppose we need no introduction then," Rose added with a growing smile.

"Just which one is which." Kim replied with a nervous chuckle.

"I'm Martha Jones, this is Rose."

"Rose what? We hear all about you but only ever your first name."

"'S all I need." Rose replied with a dismissive shrug, still keeping most of her smile in place. "Where's your camp?" She asked, and Kim threw a thumb over her shoulder before turning around and leading them away.

This time the encampment was part of an old High School.

"This far south in the city they don't bother us," Kim explained. "Doesn't hurt that most of the people here are under eighteen."

And that was obvious. Rose's fast calculations just from what she could say old her there was one adult to ever eight children, and the encampment likely house a thousand people at its capacity.

"How do you get supplies?" Martha asked, the concerned tremor in her voice giving away the fear she had for the kids.

"A couple adults and a few of the older teens like me go out." Kim replied as she led them upstairs. "We made a rule early on: sixteen and older. Anyone younger stays down below with the exceptions of the babysitters."

"Why's that?" Martha asked, though the scene on the second floor gave an obvious answer.

While the younger ones down stairs ran about in regular, albeit stained and dirty clothes, those upstairs were in what Martha and Rose called fatigues. Not normal army standard, it seemed to have been the choice for most rebellion groups to dress in black. Whether that was a choice their travels brought on or not, Rose never dared to ask. But not only were there men and women, and in many cases young boys and girls, dressed like the would-be soldiers they encountered everywhere, there was a mass amount of guns as well.

"You're better armed than most places," Rose noted as her eyebrows hit her hairline.

"We got lucky, one raid was on a supply caravan that happened to be delivering weapons up North. Took what we could because we need protecting too." An older man said as he stepped toward them. "Name's Mike, Kim's Dad. You must be Martha and Rose. We've been expecting you."

"Does anybody need medical attention?" Martha asked immediately.

Mike nodded. "Downstairs, gymnasium." And with that, Martha went back downstairs.

After watching her disappear, Mike turned to Rose skeptically.

"Hates guns," She explained away. "Not a fan myself, under normal circumstances, but I can't say I haven't held one myself over the last three months."

"And you guys have been traveling unarmed?" He asked, looking her over.

It made her grin. "Don't need a gun, mate." Rose said with a wink, taking poor, graying Mike aback. "So, you do raids, yeah? When's your next one?"

"Planning one in the morning while it's still dark." Mike said, hands on his hips.

Rose nodded. "'Kay. If there's an available cot, point me to it. I'll need rest if I'm gonna go with you."

Mike chuckled in his throat, looking her over. "You?"

"Tougher than I look, mate." She said, less friendly this time, taking a subtle step toward Mike that had his hands fall to his side and the smile disappear. "Kim said she heard of us, so you've gotta know we help how we can."

"I do," He said with a nod.

"Good. Cot?" Rose asked again, and Mike pointed behind her. "Just pick one?" She asked and he nodded. "Alright." And with that, Rose turned on her heel, marching down the hall to one of the open former classrooms. Desks, the kinds that didn't have attached chairs and were usually scene in elementary schools, were attached together with cable ties in groups of three, long enough for someone like Rose to lay on, and anyone taller to curl. Gym mats were duct-taped on top of them, making up the cots.

Putting her bag beneath the desks, Rose shrugged off her leather jacket, folded it up, and used it as a pillow once more. It didn't take long for her to drift off, and much to her pleasure it was dreamless.

* * *

 

If Martha could sum up everything she felt from the moment she and Rose left the Valiant in one word it would scared. Scared for her family, scared for the world, scared that the Doctor's plan wouldn't work, scared that at some point she would be left alone.

Rose, compared to her, was reckless. While Martha did her best to keep hidden, lay low, tell the stories to encampments and spreading knowledge of the Doctor, her friend was willing to walk into gun fire in an attempt to help rebels gain supplies. It was noble, an extension of what Martha thought the Doctor might do in the same circumstances, but he seemed invincible. And he could cheat death. Rose was not, could not, and no amount of healing capabilities was going to bring her back from a bullet to the head.

Still, she had to admire her willingness to actually go out there. Martha's bravery wasn't quite so abundant.

So after she helped where she could in the make-shift infirmary and aided where possible in the kitchen, Martha gathered those left behind and told them stories. She wondered, for a moment, if perhaps she should have censored some of her tales a bit since most of her audience were young children. Yet in a strange way, despite their breeding, Daleks seemed less terrifying than he Toclafane who probably executed their parents right in front of them. And as the last child was finally tired enough that they no longer wanted to hear the fantastic tales, she went upstairs to find her friend sound asleep on a thrown together cot.

Her eye fell on the ring secured on Rose's left hand. She still loved the man that gave it to the other woman, so much that she was willing to face her fears to undergo the task he assigned them. Martha was starting to wonder if that would ever change, but for now she brushed it aside. Climbing on to the empty cot next to Rose, she curled into her side, and closed her eyes. As she drifted she remembered happier times when she was oblivious to the danger the Doctor could bring, as well as to whom his hearts actually belonged.

* * *

 

"I thought you only told stories." A young man who accompanied Rose, Mike, and five others from the camp as they set out across the barren city.

"I do," Rose said, keeping pace with them easily despite the men being so much taller then her. "But as I told Mike, we also help. Martha's a doctor, she can tend to the sick and wounded, teach how to better care for others. My skills aren't quite as useful, but I put them to use where and how I can."

"Oh?" The young man asked.

"You'll see," Rose said, letting the subject drop for the time being. She waited, knowing what was coming as it always did when she went along on these missions.

"So tell us about this Doctor guy," Mike eventually said. "Stories have started coming to us, but they're hard to believe."

Rose grinned, doing her best to keep he reverence from her voice. "He's one of the greatest heroes this planet has ever known, sworn to defend it at any cost, even to himself. Right now the Master has him captive, but 's only because we all gave him the upper hand."

"'Cause we wished Winters was more like him," Someone behind her commented, and those around her grumbled their agreement with regret.

"That's what the Master does, though. He's sorta hypnotic. But right now, even though he's captive, the Doctor's planning how to end it."

"You sound sure." Mike snorted.

"Been with that man for the last three years of my life, been in more tight spots and prison cells than I care to think of, but he's always gotten us out. Always. And never once has he let me down, or anyone else. In fact, there was this one time when we traveled to a place called Satellite 5 …."

And that's how Rose did her part. She spoke to the soldiers, the ones who needed more than the pretty stories Martha told. It's not like the soldiers didn't listen to those, but Rose noted that they usually believed easier when they heard struggles similar to their own. And so as Rose related the stories of escape, of rising up against impossible odds, of taking down the Sycorax in twenty minutes tops but only after needing to recover like he was essentially doing now, she could sense the shift. The hope building. The renewed determination.

"And that's why he needs us all to think of him at the same time when that stupid count down reaches zero. Because like the tea it will revitalize him."

"But why then? Why not sooner?" The young man who started the questioning asked.

"Because until that moment the power is still in the Master's hands. He can turn it against us." Rose said, looking up at the confused man beside. "'S hard to explain. All I can say is that if we all think of the Doctor at the same time, at that moment, what the Master used to convince us all he was a decent bloke can be turned around on him and bring him down."

"Yeah, okay." The man said, and Rose could tell he was unconvinced. It didn't really matter, she supposed.

When they arrived at the warehouse, they split up to circle the building and met up on the other side.

"Only one door," Mike said, "And it's got no lock to pick on the outside. Just a code, and panels been wiped clean."

"You saw the window though, yeah?" Rose asked.

Mike scoffed. "Might have been blown out, but it was pretty high up.

At that, Rose smirked. "Go to the door," She said, meet you there in a mo'." The five others went ahead and moved back around, Mike and the man asking all the questions following Rose.

She made her way around to the side of the building, started to sprint then jumped. Her foot landing on the edge of a crate, she used the momentum to spring up, grabbing the bottom rung of a rusted fire escape, then swung in through the window.

While the entry looked brilliant, she knew the landing wasn't going to be pretty. Having not perfected the roll quite yet, she landed roughly on her ankles from her fifteen foot drop. Just barely was she able to avoid breaking or even spraining them, but she still limped the whole way over to the door. Willing herself not to feel the pain, she opened the door and smiled at the gapping men and women on the other side.

"Come on in," She gestured with her head, giving them a tongue touched grin as they all filed in.

"Alright." Mike said, "Truck will be driving by in thirty, round up what you can, bring I here."

And with that, the collective was off.

Rose stayed back, her ankles healing from the impact making it difficult to run about. She stacked the crates and sacks that started coming around, as well as acting as a look out considering this was the only way in and out. Well, unless one counted the window she came through.

On one of her peeks out the door she didn't see anything. Not at first, and not more than something in the corner of her eye. But it was enough of a something that made her look back out more slowly.

Containment officers, about a half a dozen of them, were coming toward them.

Her hand fell to her hip where a small handgun was holstered, thanks to Mike's instance, and she rapped the butt of it against the metal walls three times. Everyone stopped, looked toward her, and drew their weapons slowly.

Shifting around the door slowly, Rose was only a few feet away from one of the officers. Too close, she realized, to risk firing off a shot. She turned, met Mike's eye, and mouthed "incoming."

And then hell broke loose.

It always did. She couldn't remember a time when she helped a resistance force get supplies without it going wrong. And if she had to admit, the Master's men keeping valuable goods in a small space with only one door in or out that they knew off was somewhat of an obvious trap.

By the third officer passing through, and gun fire coming back toward her, she moved out the door and punched the first guy she came across in the nose. She lifted her gun, aiming a shot at someone approaching and fired. Stunners only, that was her rule when ever she was told she could only join a raid if she carried a gun, and by the way the officer fell she knew Mike was good on his word that her preferred ammunition would be loaded in her gun.

An arm wrapped around her neck, and without a second thought Rose dropped her gun to grab hold of the arm, lunging forward with all of her strength to throw her attacker over her shoulder. As she noticed seemed to be the case, he flipped with ease. Not only did she seem to be getting stronger, but people (especially men) seemed to underestimate her. With her booted foot on the man's neck, she retrieved her gun and moved quick enough to take out another officer coming around the corner. No sooner had she fired the gun was she on her back, the officer she'd threw over her shoulder having grabbed her leg and yanked her down.

Coughing and her head aching, she was seeing double of the gruff man looming over her.

"Ain't so tough now, are you lil girl?"

Her free foot landed hard and swift in his groin, and he loosened his grip on her leg enough that she could twist her leg out of his hold. Free from the officer's hold, Rose got to her feet and swung the butt of her gun as hard as she could at his head. He went down, out cold, and she charged inside as a white truck came around the corner.

The situation inside seemed handled, so she called out. "Transport."

As the rebels moved to load their loot and prepare for a quicker, slightly safer return to the encampment, Rose tried to ignore the pools of blood and the bodies that lay in them.

"How many are you down?" She asked Mike as the last of their people cleared the warehouse.

"Two," He said, gesturing for Rose to follow him into the van. As they pulled away she looked to see who was there and immediately noticed he bloke who questioned her so heavily wasn't among them.

Swallowing back the grief for a person she barely knew, Rose looked at those who remained. Always easier to look to the survivors, even if they looked heartbroken and despondent.

"Anyone ever survive with him?" Mike asked, and Rose's eye fell on him immediately. He was looking at the gun in his hand, fingers running over the barrel. "The Doctor, are there ever any days when everyone lives?"

"Actually," She said softly, "there are."

* * *

 

"That was too close," Martha panted beside Rose as they pressed themselves up against the wall. The rumble of the vehicle disappeared slowly, and they both carefully craned their necks around the building to sneak a peek. The van was a dot turning down the road from where they were told to go.

"Let's go." Rose said, eager to get to their destination. It had been two weeks since their last encampment, and four days of that had been spent walking and exposed to the elements at night. Shelter was promised here, and it was something Rose couldn't wait for.

They ran as quick as they could, darting behind buildings and watching for the enforcement officers who seemed to be coming out in fuller force with each passing day. Perception filters only worked when the person looking didn't want to see what was hiding, and Rose had the increasing suspicion that people wanted to see them.

Looking around them, she imagined that Chicago was probably beautiful under normal circumstances. Now it was just a lake side mess, looking much like New York had when it came to its High Rises.

"Where were we supposed to go?" She asked Martha.

"Two more blocks," Martha replied, looking up at the street signs. "Big brain of yours, and you can't remember?"

"Was half asleep when they were telling us," Rose replied. "And recovering from a stab wound on top of it."

"I keep telling you that the raids are going to get you killed." Martha snapped a little, eyeing Rose with a glare to remind her that she was still mad.

"I'm being careful." Rose partly lied.

Admittedly she could be more careful, but she was finding as time passed she cared a little less for her own well being. Not to the point that she was suicidal, but enough to definitely be considered reckless. The stab was to her leg, but the knife was short and it didn't hit anything dangerous. She simply tied it off and kept fighting off the Master's lackies while the men and women she had went with gathered what they needed and got ready to head out. But the time they'd returned to the encampment, Rose's let had already stopped bleeding and was well on the way to scabbing over. Now, four days later, it was healed.

"You aren't being careful enough. What would the Doctor say?" Martha asked, emphasizing the name that was become harder to hear.

"That I'm jeopardy friendly," Rose replied automatically.

Martha sighed, and for now they seemed to agree to let the subject drop.

As they hit the second block, they heard three taps of metal on metal, and turned around to see a ginger woman in blue scrubs tapping a rod against a mail box. With a wordless glance at each other, Rose and Martha headed toward her.

"Rose, and Martha Jones." The woman said with a grin. "We've been expecting you."

"We're starting to become a little too well known, yeah?" Rose said, smiling at the woman before her.

"As are your stories." She said. "Two women spreading the word of hope while searching the world for a weapon."

Rose and Martha smiled at one another, "That's us." Martha said as she turned back to the woman.

"Also heard one of you was a Doctor." She added. "I could use the extra hand."

"Lead on then," Martha said, and the ginger woman nodded behind her.

They were taken inside a building, and down below into a basement.

"We prefer to be underground. Slave encampments are growing, and as much as we try, those who stay up top seem to be led away quicker." The ginger explained as she pushed open a door into a wide open space.

Easily what was probably a bunker for bigger issues, the entire empty space was filled with rows upon rows of cots. There was the smell of some sort of soup cooking from somewhere, and a glance around the room showed Rose another three exit point from the one they just entered.

"Our infirmary is this way," The ginger woman pointed to the far end. "I do what I can, but I'm a heart surgeon, and admittedly a little more rusty with some of the other fields. It's been a while since my residency." She said with a smile to Martha who had fallen more in step with the other Doctor.

"Anything else that's needed?" Rose asked, and the woman paused, looking over her shoulder.

"At the moment, no." And with that, she and Martha continued on.

Watching them head to the back, Rose didn't move. It'd been a while before she was immediately assigned a task. A small tug on her hand got her attention, and she turned and looked down at the little girl who smiled up at her.

"Are you the story teller?" She asked sweetly.

"Can be." Rose smiled, crouching down to be eye level with the little girl. "What's your name?"

"Jamie."

"Jamie," Rose repeated. "Do you like stories about heroes?"

* * *

 

Rose was surrounded by the time she was telling her third story, this time the wild tale of the brave Doctor facing down both the ghosts and the pepper pot ships that nearly destroyed the Earth before. It wasn't just by mesmerized children, either, though those were the ones who huddled closest to her. Adults and teenagers also came to listen, remembering well the events of the years past that Rose talked about. They remembered their loved ones standing at edges on high, recalled the very invasion Rose was speaking of, and therefore believed the story in between of the Doctor battling bat creatures and saving a school's worth of children from being used like a computer.

"He held on so tight to that clamp, watching all those awful creatures flying by. And the only time he was ever scared, it wasn't when he looked his most feared enemies in the eye stalk, or faced deletion, it was when his love lost her grip and almost fell into the void."

"But she lived?" A little girl asked.

"Yes, yes she did."

"Where is she now?" An older one asked.

Rose smiled. "She's doing what you all will do, telling the story of the Doctor."

"Alright," One of the adults sighed. "Dinner, come on." And with that, the crowd dispersed, and Rose remained where she sat on a cot, watching the population of this survivor's camp hurry off for the small dinner they were bound to get.

"I tried telling a story once," The ginger doctor from earlier startled Rose as she sat down beside her. "But it wasn't nearly as intriguing as those passed around by you two, or the others that have come from other sources." Rose raised an eyebrow at her, and the woman grinned, chuckling a little. "His other, what does he call them, companions? Stories sort of filter through the communications, but the ones you two tell more people can relate to. Most everyone knows what you mean about the Christmas invasion a couple years back, and hardly a soul can forget the ghosts, but the other stories, well." She shrugged. "Kinda like mine. Seven years ago, I watched the Doctor save the world, oddly enough from the same Jackass he's trying to save it from now. Except, well, kinda hard for the story to gain footing when I'm not sure what happened."

Rose stared at her with wide eyes. "What's your name?" She asked.

"Grace. Grace Halloway."

Rose rolled the name around her in head. "I don't remember him mentioning you." She said softly.

Grace snorted, shaking her head. "Why doesn't that surprise me." She sighed wistfully. "One night, one kiss, and then he was gone. Well, two kisses I suppose."

"He kissed you," Rose asked, her eyebrows hitting her hairline. "Oh we are going to have a conversation, that man and me." She said without thinking.

"Rose," Grace said after a moment of quiet. "You're the woman, aren't you? You're the love you spoke of." She shifted her gaze to Grace, noting that the woman was looking at her ring. "I don't remember much about the time I spent on his ship, but I do remember seeing things that looked like those circle things on your wedding ring." She swallowed. "Now I really have to wonder what would have happened if I traveled with him."

"You didn't?" Rose asked, fiddling with the ring on her finger.

Grace shook her head. "He asked, but I didn't want to give up my life here. So I asked him to stay with me, but…."

Rose laughed, and Grace glared affronted. "Sorry," Rose said. "'S just. The man hates domestics."

"He married you." She said incredulously.

"But we don't live on Earth. We live on the TARDIS. We travel. He doesn't do the house with carpets and drapes things, not if he can help it."

Grace nodded, seeming to understand. "Does he still dress all, I dunno, Victorian? Or did you manage to change the look?" She asked with a small smile.

Rose grinned. "Oh, you knew _that_ him." She said without thinking, paling when the words came out. She waited, gripping her knees.

"I know he changes." Grace said evenly.

Rose relaxed. "I never knew the him you did." She said. "But he doesn't have the whole Mister Darcy look." She said, gesturing to her chest.

Grace grinned. "He still gorgeous?"

"Always is." Rose replied without thought. "Doesn't matter the face."

"Doctor Holloway," Someone called. "Stop chatting Rose's ears off and let her get something to eat."

Rose looked at Grace with a grin. "How about you join me, tell me all you can remember about your story, and maybe I can tell you one I don't share." She offered as she stood up, gesturing to the canteen area off from the main room where the person had been shouting from.

"I'd actually really like that," Grace said, taking Rose's now offered hand to get to her feet, going with her to the kitchen.

* * *

 

"We should consider actually getting a weapon." Rose said as they walked, and Martha stopped short and glared at her. "Not like that, I mean one that we can say is part of the whole 'defeating the Master' thing."

"That's what the whole telling the story part was," Martha said as they resumed their walk. "Our weapon is words."

"Not tangible enough." Rose shook her head, pursing her lips. "We tell people we're seeking a weapon, but eventually we're going to need to say we have something. Other companions are telling tales, the Doctor's becoming more known, but eventually people will want to see what he will hold in his hand when he takes down the Master."

"Always kinda pictured it would be his sonic screwdriver." Martha deadpanned, joining Rose as she laughed. "What would we possible get? I hate the idea of having an actual weapon with us."

Rose considered. "A water gun." She mused. "Gotta be able to find some spray paint around here, yeah?"

"Oh, yeah, that's terrifying." Martha joked before her face became serious. "Wait, hold on, that's not a bad idea." She said, reaching out and stopping Rose, pulling her closer to the fence of what was once a farm. "A water gun, and we can fill it with something, say that it's a chemical that will kill the Master."

"Could dye the water." Rose said with a smirk.

"But is that possible, yeah think? That something that powerful would be on Earth?"

"Grace said that the Master had been here before," Rose said. "And I think, though I can't remember, but I think the Doctor showed me that the Master had come to Earth earlier than that too."

"He said he worked for, oh, what was it. Torchwood?" Martha asked, snapping her fingers as she tried to recall.

"No, that was Jack." Rose shook her head. "It was UNIT, I think. Yeah, yeah, UNIT." Rose said, getting more excited.

"Okay, so UNIT would know that the Doctor was here. Probably had some sort of form of his biology here. What if they some how developed a chemical that would kill a Time Lord?"

"Takes a lot to kill a Time Lord, I think." Rose considered. "The only thing I know of is Aspirin."

"Seriously?" Martha asked as she leaned against the fence. "So why don't we just go up to the Master and offer him something for the headache we've caused him?"

Rose laughed, hard and loud for the first time in months. Martha, it seemed, found it contagious, and the two were in fits for a while, starting up again after looking at the other and seeing a grin.

"You think it'll work?" Martha asked after they had calmed down enough.

"We don't need details, so maybe." Rose pondered, swiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "Though I think something that powerful would be kept a little more far spread. Like maybe they'd have the gun one place, chemicals in another."

"Chemicals," Martha nodded. "More than one."

Rose hummed in agreement. "Make more sense. Little bit of this, little bit of that. Different things that would stop a Time Lord regenerating."

"Where would they come from?" Martha asked.

"We'll think of something. Pick places along the way." She looked to Martha. "We need to get off this road soon." She noted.

"To the farm house?" Martha suggested, tilting her head to the house behind her.

"Good a place as any." Rose agreed, turning to the wooden fence and climbed over it with ease. She waited patiently for her less nimble companion to come over the other side, then they started toward the house in the distance.


	29. So Long as He Wanders

"Precious girl," He sang in her ear, but it wasn't the voice she was used to. Not anymore. "Rose, darling, wake up."

She stirred, smelling his musk and skin and leather around her before he placed kissed behind her ear. She looked at her messy, pink bedroom smiling to herself as she reached behind her and scratched her nails over his short cropped hair.

"It's always nice when this you comes back." She mumbled. "But I already know this isn't real."

"I'm real enough," He said as a cool hand slipped up her sleep shirt.

"No," She sighed despite her longing for more. "You and I never did this."

"Better?" His newer voice whispered in her ear, the hair beneath her fingers suddenly fuller.

"Still not real," She sang.

"Oooh," Her eyes went wide at that voice, her body ridged. "Am I better?" She turned unwillingly, yanking her hand back from the once again short hair, turning to look into the eyes of the Master.

She bolted up of her own accord, desperately trying to catch her breath. Panting, she looked around the darkened room, seeing Martha on the mat beside her, undisturbed by Rose's nightmare. No one else seemed to be either, so instead of tossing and turning, knowing she wasn't going to sleep, she crept quietly away from the communal sleeping quarters.

Slave encampments were always pretty cramped, but also the most willing to accommodate. The pair heard the stories of how harsh the Master's men treated the workers, the demands that were made on their already fragile bodies, and in exchange she and Martha relayed the stories of hope that they had spread everywhere else. Having the girls there, to these poor souls, was like a balm. It showed them more than anything that there really were people out there trying to stop everything that was happening. But unlike other places, the girls could never stay long. No raids to aid, and Doctors already a plenty, there wasn't much point to stick around and risk being caught.

"What are you doing awake?" An older woman asked as Rose moved through the corridor toward the kitchen.

"Couldn't sleep." Rose replied, noting the empty spot next to the woman and sat without asking.

"I suppose that happens when you see so many horrors." She said evenly. "Not just with this Saxon man running the world, but before. The creatures in your tales, well, I was always a bit sensitive." She smiled meekly.

"'S not all running for our lives." Rose admitted. "Sometimes there are beaches, drinks on moons, basking in a field of apple grass."

"Romance," The woman chuckled. "Oh those are the stories I liked to hear."

"I have a lot of those, too." Rose said wistfully. "But they aren't the ones that would help." She winked.

"I knew I saw something in your eye when you told us about him." The older woman said coyly. "Both yours and Martha's, but more you."

Rose laughed, because she was sure this wasn't the last time she would be caught. "I try to keep myself out of it."

"Why?" The woman asked, glancing at the hand Rose failed to cover. "Best part is the part where he's more scared of losing his lady than anything. At least in this old sap's opinion."

"We're already becoming too well known." Rose explained. "'S not us that's meant to be renowned. It's him. We're just the messengers."

The older woman sighed. "Tell me about him? About the man you love?"

"Don't kiss and tell, me." Rose replied. "Sorry."

She nodded, wringing her fingers. "I understand." She said, smiling thinly now. "Well, best go start on breakfast, then. Won't be long and they'll all be up and expecting it."

She retreated sharply, earning a look from someone passing by. He looked to Rose, then watched the woman retreat.

"She's been acting weird lately. Sorry if she, I dunno, spooked you or something." He said as he sat down next to Rose.

"World as it is, seen stranger." Rose replied, crossing her arms over her chest careful to tuck her left hand out of sight. "What's your name, by the way? Didn't catch it when you found us."

"Leo." He said with a smile. "I'm technically not supposed to be here myself. Hid my ATV out in the woods, came here to get out of the dark. All the animals roaming these days, even domestic can't be trusted."

Rose nodded. She remembered too well the night her and Martha made the mistake of staying in the farm house. When it was still light out it wasn't so bad, but by night fall the sounds of paws and snarls outside the windows kept them up. Shadows had fallen against the walls, the light from the moon enough to have allowed them a view of what was stalking them. Dogs, ordinary dogs, turned feral from hunger and abandonment. They sniffed and snarled, clawing at the door for hours until something better seemed to catch it's attention. The screams of the poor soul that fed that animals was something the Rose desperately wanted to forget.

She was fairly sure the only reason that sound hadn't crept its way into her nightmares was because her subconscious had a much better way of traumatizing her.

"So, you come here often?" She asked, elbowing Leo in the ribs, getting him to laugh as she smiled at him with her tongue between her teeth.

"Actually yeah, I do. But you're not my type." He said with a wink.

"I know a bloke who would be." She added coyly.

"Oh? Maybe when this is all over you can introduce us." Leo mused before the uncomfortable tension settled around them. "If this ever ends."

"It will," Rose said firmly. "You heard the stories earlier, you know the Doctor will do something."

"Yeah," Leo nodded, "But what comes after? Earth's virtually destroyed as it is, Saxon still has another eight months to do damage."

Rose couldn't argue. What would happen in the end? She ran the possibilities over in her mind, but she couldn't see how this could be fixed. Monuments to commemorate the dead would be erected all over the world, entire cities that took decades to build were already gone, nothing would be the way it was before.

"Sorry," Leo said. "Always been a 'glass half empty' kinda guy."

"'S alright." Rose shrugged. "I just, I dunno, didn't think. Supposed to be dead in London so after the whole double invasion I never stuck around to see the aftermath." She took a deep breath. "One day at a time, yeah?"

"One day at a time." Leo nodded with a grin. "So, I know that there's a chess board around here. Couple old geezers who can't give up the habit even during the apocalypse. Wanna play?"

"Sure," Rose nodded once, standing and following Leo's lead.

* * *

 

"Morning," Martha said as she walked into the TARDIS galley wearing nothing but her small jimjam shorts and a vest.

The Doctor, specks on as he read over the newspaper, looked up at her with a deliciously dirty grin. "Morning." He said as he watched her move to the fridge, and she loved it.

"No eye shagging in the kitchen," Jack said as Rose sat on his lap, arms around his neck.

"Says the champs of it," Martha countered as she pulled a bottle of some kind of alien drink from the wired shelf and gaze it a shake.

She strode over to the table, frustrated when Rose and the Doctor started looking each other over.

She blinked, and suddenly Rose was in the Time Lord's lap, holding on to him the same way she was just holding Jack, and that look the Doctor gave Martha as she walked in was suddenly on Rose. Then they started making out.

"Of course," She mumbled, looking down at that weird drink thing she had yet to sip but somehow knew it tasted like blueberry.

"Wanna head back to bed?" Jack asked nonchalantly as the smell of something burning hit her nose.

"What's that?" She asked, wrinkling against the heavy scent of smoke.

"Sorry," Rose said, hopping up off the Doctor's lap and darting for the stove. "Was making breakfast."

"And she still can't cook." The Doctor teased, flicking the news paper in his hands again. A paper, Martha realized, had no actual words on it. Just the Master's big, smiling face with 'VOTE SAXON' as the headline.

"Oh I don't know," The Master suddenly appeared in the kitchen wearing ridiculous looking footed pajamas. "I think she'll roast really well."

Someone screamed from within the TARDIS.

And then Martha woke up.

Then coughed.

People were slowly starting to come out of their own deep sleeps, and panic overwhelming them as they realized that the room was filling with smoke, and flames were crackling down the hall.

Getting to her feet, Martha pushed to odd, disturbing dream to the back of her mind and looked down where Rose should have been.

"Martha!" She heard the voice of her companion calling to her, or at least she thought she had, and Martha weaved her way through the crowd. People pushed, scrambled and clawed. Screams and people calling for each other was all Martha heard. Where were the smoke detectors, why wasn't there any alert. Where was Rose?

Clamoring toward the open exit, Martha took the first deep breath of cool, clean air and coughed relentlessly until she threw up. Even then she still felt like an elephant was sitting on her chest. She straightened up, staggered, tried to focus and look around in the dark with the glow of the flames serving as light.

She searched the edge of the wooded area they were in, hoping and praying for a sign.

"Martha!" Rose's voice called to her, and before Martha could really see she felt Rose's arms wrapped around her. "Oh god, you're okay."

"Where were you?" Martha asked before coughing, and Rose stepped back to give her air.

"We were playing chess in the common area," Leo, the bloke who found the two of them wandering the woods just before dusk had said, barely able to conceal his cough. "Closer to the doors when we saw the flames."

"There aren't a lot of people out here." Rose noted, looking around. "Hardly any kids, where were they?"

"The kids room's near the kitchen." Leo noted, "Same with the elderly. Closer to the food so they can be fed first, have more strength to work."

"Close to the kitchen where the fire likely started?" Rose asked slowly. "Or is there any other place that there could have been a fire?"

"Not just the kitchen," Another bloke said, coming up to them and coughing hard. "Two spots. Another's in the basement."

"What?" Leo asked, and despite the poor lighting, Martha knew he had paled.

The other bloke nodded. "I think," he stammered, coughing relentlessly. "I think there was someone reporting. To the officers. Someone knew you two were here."

"It was a trap," Rose said, looking to Leo.

He put his hands up in surrender. "If it were me, would I have stayed? Better yet, would we have been so close to an exit?"

Martha's breath caught, the realization that maybe they weren't as secretive as they thought they were. Maybe slave camps weren't the best choice to make pit stops.

Rose closed her eyes tight. "I'll be back." She said as, resolved.

"Where are you going?" Martha asked, catching Rose's arm before she turned away from them.

"Going back in there to make sure those kids get out," Rose replied, pulling her arm from Martha's grip.

"No, _we_ have to get moving." Martha countered, trying to pull her back only to have Rose shake her off.

"I'll be fine," Rose tried to reassure. "Burns heal, and I can't let any more people die for nothing. 'Specially children." And before Martha could come up with an argument, Rose took off.

Watching her run back into the flames was something surreal, like Martha was watching a film and not reality. She tried to think of what the Doctor would have done, but he would have sprouted off something about superior physiology and ran back in. He probably would have forced Rose to stay, and maybe she would listen, but then again she usually didn't.

"You said there was a second fire," Martha said to the other bloke who looked startled. "Where was it?" She demanded, only now realizing why he was so scared.

"Basement," He repeated.

"And what's down there?" She asked through her teeth.

"Oil tanks." He said. "Used to be used in the facility before, well, before all this. Had to heat the water."

Martha's heart sank, and she clutched her TARDIS key in desperation as if it were a life line to Rose.

A commotion off to the side involved a woman crying apologies, about how she was made to do it, and others debating what to do with her. While any other time Martha may have stepped in and stepped up to protect her, she couldn't pull her eyes away from the scene before her. The heat of the flames was growing more intense, and while they would technically try to move up she knew it would also stand to reason that the wooden floor would be eaten away and debris would fall downward. Rose was running out of time, and she knew it.

Jeopardy friendly, that's what she said the Doctor would call her. Martha could add a few more colorful terms to that one.

She stood still breathing erratically, heart pounding in her ears, hand wrapped painfully around her TARDIS key as the teeth and the chip dug into her palm.

"Come on," She whispered, "come on, come on, come on, come on."

Slowly, people staggered out. Children mostly, a few adults, and some of the more elderly. A huff of relief escaped her before she realized Rose wasn't among them.

"Flames are getting too high," Said Leo. "We have to get back, we have to run." He insisted, tugging on Martha's shoulder.

"We're back far enough," She said firmly. "I won't go where Rose…."

_Boom!_

The building exploded, the heat finally igniting the barrels of fuel. Those who hadn't made it away from the building here tossed by the impact, licked but the flames, and screamed in pain, but all Martha heard was her ragged breathing and the ringing in her ears. Her body went numb, and she noted gravity was taking over as her view of the wreckage shifted lower.

 _No. No, no, no, no, no._ She repeated in her head, over and over, and Martha choked on a sob.

"Come on," Leo said. "Grieve elsewhere."

Martha clamped a hand over her mouth, nodding, allowing him to lead her away as she looked over her shoulder at the charing remains of the building.

Leo brought her away, hand wrapped firmly around hers as he tugged her twenty feet or more away from the fire. The night air was suddenly frigged, painfully cold without the heat of the consuming flames. The silence was almost too much when even the screams of the injured and the distraught were too far away to really be heard. Leo guided her to something, told her to sit, and she obeyed.

"Hold on," he said, and her hands mechanically went for the handles in front of her. He reached around and started the engine of the four-wheeler she realized she was on without a helmet, and then he took off.

Safety should have been on the front of her mind, but all Martha could think about was Rose.

Brave, clever, foolish Rose that had the Doctor's hearts and ran into a burning building with them in her hands. Who smiled for everyone, and flirted with danger and blokes in equal counts. Rose, who she wanted to hate but never could, who she thought so little of in the beginning but was suddenly one of the most amazing women she'd ever met.

She was dead. Gone. Someone betrayed them and Martha would never look into the eyes of the woman who did it to find out what she was promised in place of the life she allowed the Master to take. All the lives, for Martha knew it was more than just Rose who perished, but that was the only one she cared about.

Rose, who she silently cursed in her dreams for still stealing the man she loved and who Martha now knew would haunt them.

And as Leo took her farther away from the flames at a dangerously quick speed, Martha realized that it wouldn't be long before the Master would figure it all out.

* * *

 

Jack knew that being brought up from holding would not be good. Being the Master's personal play thing meant he didn't witness much more of what happened on board the Valiant than the taste he had on the first day. So this special treat meant something happened. Something worth gloating over.

He thought of Martha and Rose, and hoped to every god he'd ever heard of that it had nothing to do with them.

"Ah, and here's the Captain." The Master gleeful exclaimed, a slight jig of excitement to his step before he went up and grabbed his unsmiling wife with one arm and pressed her to his side.

Jack's eyes immediately found the Doctor's, but the old Time Lord gave nothing away from what could possibly be going on. He simply sat slouched in his wheelchair, a pitiful sight compared to the powerful being he truly was.

"So, I have brought you all together to share some wonderful news." The Master said, looking around the room, indicating to the Jones' and the Doctor. "We had a bit of problem in North America, people getting too excited at the prospect of two young women making their way to their sad, pitiful homes to spread word of hope. It was hard, tracking those two down, but, oh ho ho, I managed. Well, sorta. See, sometimes these fools get careless, trust the wrong people. And sometimes, someone can be bought off with empty promises and encouraged to set an encampment on fire while everyone's sleeping. And better yet, it exploded. Oil, terribly deadly thing in small spaces. And what do you think my boys found in the wreckage of that exploded building?" The Master beamed, pulling a key from his pocket.

A TARDIS key with something melted on it.

Jack stopped breathing as he watched the Master walk around the room, showing the key to everyone. His eyes fell on it when it was brought to his face, almost as if he could figure out which of the two girls it belonged to by sight alone. The Master seemed to find it amusing, chuckling before he turned and danced across the room to the Doctor, tossing the key onto the infirmed Doctor's lap.

He picked it up, ran his finger along the teeth, staring at it with eyes showing all the devastation in his soul.

"One down, one to go." The Master laughed happily.

"Was there anything else?" The Doctor asked, his voice low and even.

"What?" The Master asked, his smile wavering just a little.

"With the key." The Doctor asked, lifting his head slightly. "Was there anything else?"

"No." The Master replied, staring the Doctor down for a long moment, the smile falling. When the crazy Time Lord turned away, the Doctor looked to Francine, his eyes sad and apologetic.

Shame came with the relief that crashed over Jack, because he shouldn't have felt it. He shouldn't have been able to breathe easier when Francine and Tish, two women he'd come to know in some way had just lost Martha. But he already lost Rose once, he was sure he'd actually manage to die for good if it happened again.

"Now I just need to get to Martha Jones." The Master mused, and Jack was sure if the Doctor had been younger his head would have whipped up just then instead of the slow incline. As it was, Jack's single heart sputtered with fear and confusion.

What was happening? Why did the Doctor seem so certain it wasn't Rose, yet the Master did?

The Master took off, pulling his wife along as he said something about needing a good, long round of celebrating.

It was the cue his guards needed to escort him back to his holding area, but not without Jack putting up just enough a struggle to get the Doctor's attention.

The grin he received from the Time Lord was slight, proud, and perhaps a touch weary as if he knew something the Master didn't, but worried the hope might have been wrongly placed. But that hope made Jack lift his head a little higher, held back the grief that threatened to tear him apart, and allowed him return to his torture chamber with his dignity intact.

* * *

 

Everything hurt. Absolutely every inch of her body ached as if, well, as if she'd been torn apart. Rose rubbed her head, the pulsing between her eyes seeming to be the easiest place to sooth. Slowly, she sat up, blinking away the pain to take in the very warm surroundings.

And swallowed back the acid threatening to come up her throat.

The ground was black, charred, dotted with fallen, smoldering trees. There was so little that remained of the structure she had been in that she couldn't even make out the outline that would have been there with a normal fire. Scattered around were bodies, or at least the remains of bodies, their forms too blackened for identities and could easily be mistaken for debris. Maybe they were.

An explosion, she remembered now. The flames were consuming he building almost too quickly, and while she knew in her gut she couldn't get everyone out, she knew she could at least get to where the kids were trapped. Her memory was foggy at best, but she remembered kicking in the door where the knob melted from heat. She remembered vaguely punching out the high window and lifting kids out. The few of adults that were with the little ones pushed the small tables underneath and climbed out. But she stayed.

She ran through the flames, biting her tongue as the heat bit her, her body likely to have some bad damage when all was said and done. She kicked in another door, but noted they had already tried a window. A few ran past her out the door and tried to escape. And as she met the eye of one of the last remaining adults, she heard something loud below and then it all went black.

She had died. Right?

She looked down at her damaged clothes. Flame resistant. Heat was bad, fire started to get at them, but enough remained that she was sort of decent. She must have been tossed just far enough from everything that maybe when her body hit the ground and rolled it had put out the flames.

But how the hell did she have a body?

How the hell did she survive this when literally nothing else had? And with not a scratch to be seen?

" _So long as he wanders, so too shall the wolf."_

The cryptic words from the face of Boe looped in Rose's mind, growing louder with each repeat as if her mind thought raising it's voice would help her figure it all out.

Her head started burning, the pain all too familiar, and she closed her eyes again. Rose gritted her teeth and pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes until she saw white.

And then gold.

" _I looked into the TARDIS, and the TARDIS looked into me."_

_So many time lines._

" _I can see everything. All that is, all that was, all that ever could be."_

_She could lose the Doctor. But if she didn't, if that single time line is the one she follows, then she was never going to let him go. She would never let him be alone. She nudged it, aligned as much of their trajectory to that line as time would allow her._

" _Humans wither and die." She heard an echo of a future that she was certain to have echo to her as she toyed with the time lines._

_Not this human. Not if she can help it. And with the time vortex running through her veins, she could._

_What would the Doctor need her to be? Stronger? Faster? Smarter? Maybe not smarter, but if she was just a little quicker to think … yes. He would need that from her. He'd need her not to wither. He'd need her not to die._

_He'd need her with him as long as he lived, and it was so easy to give him that._

" _I am the Bad Wold. I create myself."_

Tears fell down Rose's face in heavy streams. What had she done? What did she do with all that power in her? The Doctor was absolutely right when he said she had no idea what she was doing. She was older now, a little wiser, and she could see that she had no business wielding power like that. Power that would turn a Time Lord into a god.

But then … she didn't do it all on her own, did she? The TARDIS looked into her as well, saw what she wanted more than anything. The TARDIS showed her the time lines as Rose used the power to save the Doctor. That wonderful ship showed her what might happen, cautioned her to be careful, guided her to lock away the potential in case all her meddling was for nothing.

She could see it, lurking in the back of her mind, her heart's desire locked in a little gold box that the Doctor couldn't remove. Tucked away, ensuring that should the worse happen she would not be forced to face his life span without him.

 _Hi_ slife span _._

"Oh God," Rose gasped wide-eyed, pressing her hands to her mouth as her heart beat rapidly. She didn't make herself immortal, she was not a fixed point, she couldn't be or the Doctor would have felt it. She just did the impossible: found a way to live up to her promise of forever with _him_.

"He doesn't know I'm alive," She reasoned, running her fingers down her cheeks before letting them fall to her thighs with a smack. "None of 'em do." She realized suddenly as she looked around her, seeing no signs of anyone from the encampment in the area.

It's an upper hand she wasn't expecting to be given. There would be no one hunting her down if they all thought she was dead.

But it would have to stay that way.

She looked at her ring. Her beautiful, perfect, indestructible ring. She shifted it around her fingers, ready to pull it off, then stopped.

The Master didn't know who she was, or exactly what she was to the Doctor. While the ring would set him off if they found it, likely knowing all about the properties of balamancinite, an average human would walk by it. There is no way a containment officer would think of it as proof of anything, just an heirloom that managed to survive the wreckage.

Her hand went to her TARDIS key. It would take a lot to destroy one of these, and while she wasn't entirely sure if heat was one of those things that could it was more viable proof that she was here. Proof the Master would have likely told his thugs to look for, seeing as how he would be familiar with the TARDIS, knew how the perception filters were made.

Ripping the chain from her neck, she took a few steps toward a hot spot. Letting one end of the chain go, the key fell to the ground. Rose watched the chip melt, but the key remain intact. Letting her beloved chain go, it melted faster than the chip soldered to the key did. And there it was, the proof of her supposed demise, lying on the ground as bait for a fool who wouldn't think to look deeper. And when it would eventually come to light that Martha was still out there while she supposedly was not, the Doctor may just figure out that she was alive. So very alive, so long as he was too.

But what now? Where to go? She couldn't draw attention to herself, couldn't be one of the storytellers any more. She swallowed back the fear as she stared at her key, trying to think what could be done now that she was a ghost to the world one again.

Voices carried toward her, shouts that sounded like people coming to check out the remains. If she didn't move now than the possibility of the farce would fade. Heading into the woods, she picked a direction away from the sound and moved as quietly as she could, picking up speed and sprinting as fast as her damaged shoes would allow until the voices behind her could no longer be heard.


	30. The Year that Never Was pt 1

She could hear the ocean, the laps of the waves against the metal of the ship. There was no way that Rose's hearing was _that_ good. If there was anything she learned over the last six months it was that she didn't turn herself in to some super being, or a Time Lord. She just made herself a better fit for a very specific one. One she knew she was getting closer to. But still, the fact that she could hear the waves meant if she really wanted to, she could enact part of her plan right here in her holding cell with the right material. But oh, it would be so much more fun to go through with the long form. She smirked, thinking about it, knowing that the time had come just by counting the shifts of he guards.

A tap on the door, and it slowly opened, and Rose looked over.

"Dinner." The shaky voice of the poor young man who happened to have the misfortune of working this particular shift said. He brought the plate in, the mystery meat and bread combo that she was used to seeing, and set it on the shelf next to her cot.

Rose smiled at him from where she laid back, hands behind her head, feet propped up by that shelf.

He made eye contact fleetingly, and it made her smile wider. He turned away, making to leave.

"Do ya know what happens when you look into the heart of a time machine?" She asked, and the young man froze. "You change." She sat up, feet flopping to the cot and making him jump. "You could burn up, revert back to a time you wish you could return to, become a god." She watched the young man as he half looked over his shoulder. "Don't worry, didn't become a god, me. Not permanently. But oh, did I have power when I went and did that. So much that I changed what I am. You've seen it, scratches gone the next day, food and drink gone untouched, little things that don't make sense and don't add up, but're right there. The Master wanted me caged, brought over by sea instead of air, and none of you seemed to ask why."

She put her feet down on the floor, and the young man sprung around, pulling the hand gun from his holster and pointed it at her.

Rose looked at it but paid it no mind. "You see, air's quicker. Lock someone in a dimly lit cell for a few hours, they're fine. Lock 'em away for a few days and they may start to crack. A slip in their sanity can either break them or allow them to be manipulated. But see, that's the thing. He doesn't know who or what I am. The Master has no idea that caging me was the exact opposite of what he should've done. Because it gave me time to think." Rose stepped closer. "No one thought to blind fold me when bringing me down below. Observant, me. I cataloged every detail, then this super fast thinking brain of mine showed me the route I need to take to get out of here."

"You aren't going anywhere." He said firmly, a tremble to his stance.

"I am." She said, taking another step closer, placing a hand on his tense shoulder. The barrel of the gun pushed into her left breast, and she smiled. "Best part is, I'm gonna blow this ship up in the process. All these guns will sink to the bottom of the ocean."

"You can't." He said.

Rose ran her hand up on the man's neck as she leaned in. "But I can." She whispered, hitting the pressure point she needed to to knock the poor guy out.

His body collapsed to the ground, she smiled at him. "I hope you survive," She said honestly, stepping over his body and out her cell.

She maneuvered through the corridors, her legs a little stiff but she tried not to let it show. When she came up behind another pair of guards she grabbed their heads and smashed them together, stepping over their fallen forms, collecting a set of keys off the one on top, and turned left. There was only one door, and it didn't take long for her to find the right key. When the right one slid in it was blissful, and she turned the handle with a tongue touched grin for no one but herself. And, maybe the thought of how she could get by without a sonic.

The arsenal was impressive, but it would have had to be considering the damage she knew was slowly being done to the Master's forces. She heard how the story of Martha Jones and her tales of the Doctor were causing more people around the world to rise up and fight. It caused Japan to burn, and New York to be decimated, but the movement was happening. While they would never overpower the Master, they were holding their own. These weapons were needed in Europe, where the stories had been passed around the longest, the fight stronger. With a smile, ran her fingers over a bomb. Explosives were the worst, explosives were something she hated encountering because there was no way to save anyone from it, and she couldn't help but feel smug as she set the thing up to detonate in five minutes, programing the deactivation code to two words no one on the ship dared speak.

As she left the holding area, she walked confidently toward the upper deck. It wasn't until she made it up top, breathed the sea air, that she found the remaining fifteen crew members. They'd been laughing, carrying on, and only stopped their discussion of what their shore-leave plans were when they noticed her coming toward them.

Half of them pulled their guns on her, the others too stunned to think.

"I'd consider getting life vests if I were you," She said simply before grabbing the guard rail and throwing herself over it. Bullets whizzed by her in the water, one hitting her shoulder, and caused her to inhale a lung full of water.

She did not want to add drowning to the list of ways she died. Especially when she wasn't really dying or anyone in particular.

Thrashing to the surface, she coughed and sputtered, gasping and choking, barely able to kick her brain into gear enough to move a little out of the way before the damn ship exploded. Land wasn't far, and as she started to see spots in her eyes, the voices of men and women scrambling to abandon ship as time started running out for them, Rose knew she'd at least wash up where she wanted to be.

The explosion blew out her ear drums, pushed her body into the water, causing her to suck in more water.

Damn, drowning it is then.

She wondered if her message would be seen as the spots overwhelmed her vision. The two words she scratched into the steel with her butter knife on the first day. The words that could have been used to save themselves if they had dared to look. The ones lingering in the shadows of her cell where the guards swallowed hard when they saw it or pointedly avoided seeing it.

Bad Wolf.

* * *

 

_Six months earlier._

She'd walked through the woods for two days, hiding under fallen trees as Toclafane scanned the area and moved along. On one hand, giving up her perception filter was a bad idea when it came to those stupid metal balls. On the other, it'd been two days since she'd had anything to eat and drink, and while her stomach went numb from hunger and her throat was dry she felt no ill effects. So what could those stupid metal balls do that nature couldn't?

Could Jack go on like that? She thought of him in the stet radiation room, how the other man dissolved to ash but Jack remained formed. Her own body had remained intact after being in the middle of an explosive fire, so she supposed he probably could live through the unpleasantness of starvation and dehydration.

Eventually her feet lead her to a small ghost town. Cars abandoned in the roads, papers and shopping bags blowing in the increasingly biting wind, the decay appearing less than most cities in a way that sent chills down Rose's spin.

She walked along the streets, taking note of the smashed store fronts and the likely raided grocery stores. Still, just about anything was better than the nothing she had for days, and if a stupid explosion hadn't killed her what could a little expired food do?

As she crossed the parking lot to the dark store, she noted the clothing donation bin by the doors. Surprisingly, it seemed that no one bothered with them, the doors still secured and the outside only bearing a few scorch marks from what was likely Toclafane attacks.

A quick examination of the lock system and some help from a fallen brick made quick work to get Rose inside the metal holders. Clothes toppled out over her feet of various colors and patterns, and she knelt down with her knees on some rough fabric to sort through it. In the first bin she found a vest nearly identical to the one she had been wearing before, though not as element friendly. Still, built in bra, didn't have to look for one. She found some jeans, skinny and dark washed, but she wasn't about to complain too much. The next bin gave her boots, still black and knee high though far more dressy than she had been wearing. Still, the sole was thick and sturdy, and they looked like they'd barely been worn. The last gave her a new leather jacket. Again, perhaps a little too stylish to be considered practical, but it looked warm enough and beggars with certain tastes can't be choosers when those tastes were somehow met. Gathering her finds, she headed inside the dark store.

The shelves had been raided, but not as badly as she was expecting. It smelled of spoiled food, of course, but after a couple of gags Rose got used to it. She headed toward the far end of the store, where a small section of clothing had been but was now severely picked over. The only knickers she could find were mens, and she wasn't about to be picky considering the alternative was having rough denim in a sensitive area. Socks she had more luck with, though the idea of wearing little yellow bananas at the end of the world made her smile. That, and it was like having a small piece of a certain someone with her.

Like she had in the sporting goods store all that time ago, Rose threw caution and dignity to the wind, stripping out of her ruined clothes and changing into her new ones right next to the comical socks and the lead in to mens wear. Changed and more comfortable, she stuffed the extra pants and second pair of socks in her insufficient jacket pockets and started to explore the store a little more.

Grabbing one of the plastic bags they kept by the cash registers, she deposited her extra things inside then scored the aisles for something she could eat.

Lots of things that Rose would have jumped at seemed to be passed over, like protein bars and shake mixes. Easy, light, vitamin filled, something she could easily survive off now that she was on her own and down her handy back-pack of freeze dried food.

Martha.

Standing in front of some less than appealing dried fruit, Rose realized that she wasn't the only one who had lost her supplies. Martha did as well. Rose distinctly remembered Martha had left the building without her backpack, meaning she was now in the same boat as Rose when it came to survival.

Well, not the same boat. Martha wouldn't survive like Rose was suspecting she would.

So long as he wanders, after all. And while the Doctor wasn't actively wandering anywhere, he was alive. That was a strange thought, and despite everything she needed to do, and all the potential thoughts she could have had, Rose plopped down on the aisle floor, mindlessly grabbed a box of weight-loss brownies, and prepared to dwell. Tearing open the package without seeing it, she shoved the sad excuse for decadence in her mouth as reality hit.

Her life literally depended on the Doctor staying alive. From the moment the Huon particles in her body activated back in that Torchwood lab, Rose inadvertently became one with her Doctor long before they did so physically. The protective instincts that grew increasingly stronger since that day made more sense than they had before. She wasn't just protecting him, her mate, but herself as well.

"Nineteen year old shop girls should definitely not wield the power of the Universe." She said to herself around a mouthful of brownie.

"Who's there?" A man called out, and Rose froze.

The torchlight shone on the floor as it came around the aisle before hitting her eyes. She curled her face up, raising a hand to shield her eyes.

"Dear lord, George. She's just a girl." A woman said, but the light in Rose's face didn't allow her to see either of the people at the other end of it.

"Oi, hardly a girl anymore." Rose replied, swallowing back the brownie and getting to her feet. "'N' I'd appreciate you not blinding me, thanks."

"Sorry," George replied, the torch lowering. "Who are you?" He asked suspiciously.

That was the question, wasn't it? Who was she now in the grand scheme of everything, when Rose Tyler was a dead woman in London, and Rose Smith the wanted was supposed to have been burnt in the woods a two day walk away.

"Marion," She opted for the meantime.

"I'm Sylvia, this is my husband. Sorry for startling you, Marion. We just, well, we know all the survivors here and you are new."

"Yeah, had some trouble with a fire few days back." She said, grabbing her plastic bag and heading down the aisle to the couple at the end. With the light from the torch and close proximity, the two looked like they were ready to go hunting or camping as opposed to raiding a grocery store for food and supplies. "Town looked deserted, didn't think I'd find anyone here." She said.

"There's only a half dozen of us left," George said solemnly. "Most were killed when those ball things came, rest either volunteered for work or were pulled away for it. Kept our heads down and we managed to get by."

Rose smiled. "Do what you have to, yeah?" She added her tongue to her teeth, and the couple warmed to her.

She'd spent a week in that town. Sylvia and George took her in to their home where they housed four others. Two kids, probably about eight and ten though not siblings, a young man in his late teens with a sickly disposition, and a big brute of a man that seemed likely to protect them all should the need for such a thing occurred. Rose helped where she could, which wasn't much except cooking and helping get food over to them. Sylvia cut her hair, chopping off the bottled portion of her blonde to her shoulders where the dark gold of her true color came to. They gave her an old black back pack to carry her stuff and a spare water bottle when she insisted she had to keep moving on, and the only thing she could pay them with was a story.

There was a spark in their eyes when she left, like they realized she wasn't who she said she was, but didn't push. The story was a simple one of the Doctor, leaving herself out of it entirely as if she had only been told it, but somehow she knew they knew.

Rose continued to follow her feet and her gut when she chose her direction out of town, following the roads and highways from the shelter of the woods.

* * *

 

She'd been killed by a Toclafane twice.

The first time caught her off guard. She'd been wandering for a month, had just started to wonder if maybe she snapped at some point and hadn't really survived the fire the way she had, when she blacked out. It had been pretty stormy, lightning striking quite often and quite close, and her first thought was that maybe she had been struck and simply passed out. Then she saw the down sphere a few feet away, She examined her clothes by touch, and after finding no holes assumed the thing likely tried to hit her in the head. She went to examine it, finding a way to crack open the sphere to see what was inside, and then promptly vomited when she took in the near mummified human head inside.

"You do not die." It said simply with child like wonder. "If I only I could connect to Master. Master would love another toy to play with."

Rose whipped her mouth, looking into the cloudy eyes, and seemed to understand what it meant by toy.

"Jack," She whispered.

"Mister Master has so much fun with his toy. He even lets us play sometimes. Master's so nice."

Rose punched the face, her hand smashing through the decaying bone with ease that made her vomit more. She cleaned her hands in a small stream, wash her face and rinsed her mouth, and then tried not to think of any of it again.

She was killed a second time about a week later, only this time it wanted to get more up close and personal. She didn't know how long she stayed dead, though if Jack had been any indication it was long enough for the Toclafane to assume its fun had been had and moved on. She had seen it coming this time, though, and understanding what the blades and spikes were going to do to her, she removed her coat and shirt and let them have at her exposed torso. She really didn't want to have to find more clothes.

Both deaths were painful in the after math, the first producing a headache that Rose couldn't shake for a day, the latter making her feel as though she'd been in a boxing match on the losing side. Redressing ached, so much that after getting her vest back on she flopped back down on the ground and stayed there for probably another hour or two. Not for the first time did she wonder at her decision to give up her TARDIS key instead of the ring, but she had to remind herself that it was the only way to give hope in some measure to the Doctor while falling off the Master's radar.

She counted the days by the sunsets, paid a few visits to various survivor's or rebellion camps. She listened to them spreading stories of the Doctor, along with Martha's instructions.

Martha Jones specifically.

She added her own, telling them as if she was merely passing it along herself, and she had gotten better at keeping the revere out of her voice. She still went by Marion most of the time, though the further she went on her own, the less she heard of Martha having a partner at one point. The last place she went was the first time she used her real name in so long it felt funny on her tongue.

As the days and nights passed, and Rose was starting to become a distant memory in place of Martha Jones, girl who walks the Earth, she started to feel more lost. Before she had a purpose, she was helping her Doctor, but now … now she was a wandering, lost thing with no where to go, nothing to do, and no plan to build on.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." Rose cursed to herself as she made her way down a semi-formed path in the woods. "Should have at least stayed on the road."

"And here she is, the wandering wolf." A voice off to the side said, one that struck recognition in Rose she couldn't place at first thanks to her startled, rapid beating heart and her mind going too rapidly between fight and flight to concentrate. "You faced down the devil, pretty sure you can tolerate a walk through the woods."

She turned, looking a tall, thin frame in black leaning against the tree. The young man turned toward her, his black hair cut too short, his face too clean of make-up, but the glint in his eyes and the way he smirked tipped her off to who he was.

"Tim," She said simply.

"I told you a couple years back that I had somewhere to be." He said, pushing off the tree and coming toward her.

"That you did." She said, opening her arms and inviting him in for a hug. Despite barely knowing each other, Tim walked into it. Maybe it was because he knew she needed the human contact of someone familiar, or maybe he was happy to see her again, but either way she didn't care. "So I'm somewhere in Canada?" Rose asked as she leaned back.

"Yep," he said, popping the 'p' like the Doctor would. "Came a long way, Wolf Girl."

"Why do you call me that?" Rose asked, smiling and crossing her arms.

"You know why." Tim replied, his confidence wavering. "Right?" He asked.

"Bad Wolf." She said simply, and his confidence returned.

He chuckled. "Thought things aren't always the most reliable means of getting info." He blushed. "Anyway, come on. Let me take you to the camp."

Rose didn't question, following the young man the Doctor bonded with as John through the woods. Eventually they came to a small bunker that was probably once meant for bombs in war. Tim had to duck to get in the door, and inside was cool, dank, and a little cramped, but Rose didn't mind.

"She's here," He called out, and someone came running up to them.

"Hello," A short, oddly pudgy woman who was too happy to have a real grasp on what was happening ran up to her. "I'm Lorraine, Tim's aunt. He used to tell stories of you and the Doctor. Well, still does, really, and especially after we heard about Martha Jones. But, oh, look at you, a gorgeous thing you are. Come on, we just made dinner. Nothing fancy, of course, times and all." As the overly bubbly woman disappeared, Tim gave Rose a shy grin.

"There were forty of us who found this place at first, and it was stacked with all these cans of food and shit. We eat a little more often now that we're down to twenty, but it had always been a production with her."

"What happened?" Rose asked gently as some people passed them in the corridor, some sparing glances and making no efforts of hiding their whispers.

"I convinced some of those from the city to leave town with me right around the time of Britain's election. Not many, though. A Dozen who knew me, knew the Doctor, or at least of what happened. Saw this place in my mind and we just ran. A few people followed us, building to the forty we had. Think this was supposed to be some kind of community bunker, and there's a town a little ways away, so …. Anyway, Spheres took out about six who went to try and get supplies. Found the dust piles afterward. Had a run in with the Enforcos after that. A couple went insane and offed themselves." Tim explained.

"'M sorry," Rose said sincerely, giving his arm a squeeze.

Tim gave a non-committal shrug. "Shit happens." He said with a thin smile. "How are you, though? Honestly."

The question took Rose aback, and the genuine concern for her in his eyes was something Rose hadn't encountered since the early days with Martha. "I miss him." She admitted, letting all the pain in her soul out in her voice. "Every damn day."

"You know what?" Tim said, meeting her gaze. "Me too."

* * *

* * *

 

Tim was like a second Jack, though instead of constant innuendo it was swearing. And, of course, Tim could die.

Rose, finding one of her dearest friends in the soul of this man (because he was no longer a kid, even to her), protected him fiercely.

Which is how she died times 3 through 9.

Much like many of the rebel camps she'd come across, and even some of the basic survivors, they were taking the fight to the Master's men. It was dangerous, bloody, and she refused to leave Tim's side for anything.

The first time she died for him, it was by a bullet. They'd been crouched behind some crates, returning what fire they could to the Master's men. If she had been honest with herself, she was purposely aiming poorly because no one used stunners at this point and she really didn't want to kill anyone. Not if she didn't have to. When they thought it was safe, that the enforcement officers had retreated they stood up. When Rose saw the gun she didn't hesitate to throw herself in its line of fire, firing a shot off with perfect aim before she was hit. She dropped instantly, waking with an ache between her eyes.

"Holy. Shit." Tim said as she stared wide eyed at her, his fingers running along her forehead.

"What did it look like?" Rose asked, her voice quiet.

"You dropped. Asshole had a buddy so I shot him, then … I looked down and the bullet popped out, and then it closed."

"Oh," Rose said, trying to clear her voice. "Fantastic."

"Wolf Girl," Tim said softly, the only name he seemed to allow himself to call her. "What happened? How did you do that?"

"Bad Wolf." She said, and Tim seemed to zone out. His pupils were pin point small, and he stared at her unseeing for so long Rose started to worry. When he blinked, his eyes returned to normal.

"Bad Wolf." He repeated, standing and helping her to her feet.

A month later it was from her pulling the attention of a Toclafane away from Tim, allowing him to run back to their base camp after their attempts to fight back brought the stupid little spheres to the Resistance group. They had escaped the battle, running hand in hand, until it became obvious that one of those stupid things chasing them weren't going to let up. With a nod, they split up, and Rose fired her gun to draw the attention to her. This one wanted to play, and while she would have loved to not have sacrificed her clothes in the process of her perceived life, she didn't exactly want to expose herself to Tim if it could be helped. So she died in her clothes, and when she returned to the camp to the surprise of everyone but Tim) she grudgingly asked if they had any sewing supplies she could use to fix her shirt and jacket.

The grenade was the worse. And not just because Tim was there, but because there were others that she now had to expose her secret too. When the Master's men threw the stupid thing, her fast acting brain had her running for it, catching it in hand before it made it closer to where the young man and a few others were trying to hold their ground. It exploded in her hand. She'd managed to save all but two people with that act, and the ones she couldn't had simply just been too close. Her clothes were intact but couldn't be repaired where they singed. Not that she was really worried about her wardrobe for the first few hours. Unlike the bullet which only took a minute to wake from and about a half hour to fully recover from, or the Toclafane stabs which were the same wake time and ached like bad muscle cramps, her hand and arm ached so bad she cried until she fell asleep. The pain was blissfully gone by the time she'd awaken.

No one admitted to what they saw, and she had to ask Tim about it.

"They're freaked." He admitted with a shrug. "They don't get how you survived. Even with all the stories of the Doctor, an alien here to save us from another alien, they're terrified you might be one too. And while it's all good in theory to have one there to save the world, the idea of one sleeping next to them, is, well …."

"But I'm not alien." Rose insisted, flopping back on the cot. "I'm human."

"With some mods. Yeah, I remember. I get it. They don't." He replied easily.

They left not long after that, just the two of them.

"It's not weird for you, is it?" He asked as they hiked down the road together, Tim being the one to lead as he said he knew where they should be going. "I mean, we are really close in age, all things considering. You barely know me, and we have huddled together quite a bit over the last week."

Rose laughed, smiling at Tim fondly. "No, Tim. Doesn't bother me."

"You sure, Wolf Girl? 'Cause, I played the Doctor once. Pretty sure I was irresistible for that single night." He said, grinning as she laughed further.

"God, you remind me so much of Jack." She finally admitted to him, looking over at his black hair and blue eyes, wondering briefly if maybe one of Jack's dalliances had a consequence he didn't know about.

"Jack, eh?" Tim said, clicking the K sound in the name.

"All the stories I tell you, and I've never told you about my friend Jack?" She asked.

"Nope," He replied with a firm shake of his head. "Do tell. You and the Doctor into something I don't know about?"

Rose blushed as she laughed harder. "Doesn't Jack wish."

And it was as they walked down the road, her telling stories of Jack Harkness to Tim Latimer while he asked any and all questions he could think to about her fellow immortal, that she died for him again. With next to no vehicles traveling anywhere, it wasn't that uncommon for them to drive at break-neck speeds down deserted highways. When she and Martha first started out there was always a warning with the Toclafane hovering a mile or so ahead. She had heard the engine over Tim's laugh, turned to see it coming too fast for them to both scramble, and shoved him hard out of the way. She stayed conscious for too long that time. She knew the vehicle didn't stop, she felt Tim come up and cradle her head in his lap though she felt nothing else, and she had never prayed for death so vehemently. When she finally lost consciousness it was blissful.

"At least I can feel my body now," Was the first thing she said when she returned to life, much to Tim's relief. "At this rate, Jack and I are going to have a comparison list."

"Just don't try to beat him, alright?" Tim asked. "Really don't want to have to explain to the Doctor why I let his Wolf die so damn much."

It was in heavy crossfire that Rose took the next bullet for him. They were trying to get innocent kids out alive, get them to a resistance settlement that housed young ones for protection. The Master, it seemed, was wanting his workers younger and younger.

"Get them out of here," Rose said to Tim over her shoulder as she fired two shots, hitting two men in the head. It turned her stomach as she watched their heads recoil before their bodies dropped, and a cold sweat started to break over her as her breathing became erratic. Tim tried to move again, and she had to hit another two of the enforcement officers. One was in the head, the other somewhere that merely had the woman cursing. "Go," Rose said again, harsher than intended, but it spurred Tim on. She was covering him as best she could, certain that they were almost in the clear, when she noted the woman she shot earlier aiming for them. Perhaps the bullet _was_ meant for her, but it would have hit Tim and that was all that mattered to her before she died.

When she awoke a minute later, Tim had her propped near the vehicle and he was loading kids in. She got up on shaky legs, found her gun in its holster and armed herself. No one came around the corner this time, and as soon as the kids were in the truck so was she and Tim.

With the door closed and them finally moving, he looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "Had to be done." He said evenly but not unkind.

"Yeah," Rose nodded, trying not to think about the people she shot and were most certainly dead.

"Thanks," He said. "For saving my ass back there. Again."

At that she smiled. "Yeah."

The ninth death she had for Tim's sake was inside the resistance camp they stayed in a week after saving those kids. Turned out not to be as well hidden as they thought, and the enforcement officers stormed the place, trying to round up as many people as they could. She and Tim were sneaking out the back with the others when the warning shot hit her ankle. She turned as she stumbled in agony, seeing the officer aiming for Tim. She had no time to fire, only enough time to catch the bullet in her spine.

When she woke up, Tim had her huddled in a storage space, a small window above them just big enough to climb out of.

He was craddling her between his legs, stroking her hair and seemed to be either thinking really hard or having one of his visions.

"I'm back," She said softly, and he nodded.

"How much does it hurt?" He asked her after a time.

"Too much." She said honestly. "But not enough to stop me from making sure you stay alive."

"I'm not that important." He said to her seriously. "You are."

"Why?" Rose asked.

Tim smirked, tilting his head to where two words were written on the wall. "He needs to see those."

Rose sat up at the sight of them. "Tim, were those?"

"Don't worry, I put them there." He explained. "Everywhere we've gone, I've written them on walls, carved in trees."

"Why?" Rose asked as she stood up slowly, the ache at the base of her neck shooting up through her skull as she gingerly stepped toward those words on he wall.

"Hope." He said. "For the one man we're both fighting for."

She touched the words, wondering why she hadn't thought of leaving them herself. Smiling at them, she followed the trail her fingers made until the fell on the barrels of fuel.

"Tim, has everyone gotten out?" She asked, looking at him over her shoulder.

He searched the air above his head. "Yeah, think so, why?" He asked.

"Do me a favor," She said. "Get out."

"What?" He asked, seeming hurt.

"Trust me." She said, and he nodded.

Tim said he waited as far from the resistance base as he could while staying hidden. He watched those of able body being loaded into unmarked black vans, a few of those who put up a fight were shot to prove a point. He then said that, just as the officers went back inside the base, likely to see if there were any others who stayed hidden, the whole place blew up.

And he told her that watching her walk out of the flames and smoke was something like a movie, only far more bad ass because he had a feeling she probably died setting it up.

Rose never counted that time as dying for Tim, though it would have been the tenth and she wouldn't have cared. She did consider it dying for those who were now free to find another resistance camp. So few officers had survived that explosive fire, and she cried about that after Tim went to sleep, but she got through it by reminding herself how many people not only lived, but were now free.

* * *

 

Jack had found himself once again escorted up from his lovely little torture chamber, only this time he could see the frustration in the Master's facade and the slight glee in the Doctor's eyes. The Jones' seemed confused, waiting patiently for the Master to speak. Lucy, poor thing, had shadow of a bruise over her jaw and was more interested in the table top than anything around her.

"So Martha Jones is still being elusive." The Master said through his teeth. "Fine, what ever, I can figure out where she's moved on from, tell my North American team they've done what they could and I'll have them executed for their failings." He said, and a pair of Toclafane appeared.

"Would mister Master like us to dispose of the failures?" One asked, it's child like voice full of glee.

The Master sighed. "Only three-quarters, a reward for taking out Rose. Wait, no, scratch that. Yes, all of them. The other one was luck, had nothing to do with them." The Toclafane disappeared with a giggle, and the Master grinned. "So full of wonder those little creatures. I do so love to make them happy, and it's so easy!" He said, his smile growing. "But you know what doesn't make me happy? Falling behind schedule." He moved over to a table, running his fingers against it.

_Tap-tap-tap-tap._

"Someone's been destroying all my hard work." _Tap-tap-tap-tap._ "Part of those who stands against me." _Tap-tap-tap-tap._ "And they leave a calling card." _Tap-tap-tap-tap._ "Tell me, what does 'Bad Wolf' mean, Doctor?" He whirled around and knelt in front of the frail Time Lord who simply stared back with as much strength as he could muster in those youthful brown eyes. "I have a feeling that even if I was to enter that mind of yours you wouldn't tell me. Or maybe you don't even know. But you know who wouldn't be able to shut his mind to me?" And the Master whipped around, spinning back to his full height and stared Jack down. "Captain." He said gleefully.

"I got nothing." He admitted as the Master stalked toward him.

It didn't seem to deter him any, and the Master launched his hands to Jack's temples and forced his way in. It was a dizzying, unpleasant experience, but he had nothing to hide that the Master didn't already know about. Well, maybe a few things.

"Ooooh, naughty, naughty Captain." The Master said, looking over his shoulder at the Doctor. "He's had some thoughts about you, Doctor. Not just the regeneration you're in now, either. Man you had some ears." He said, pulling his hands away from Jack's head too quickly, nearly making him pass out. "You didn't need the TARDIS to fly around space and time with those things." Then the teasing left the Master's demeanor entirely. "So Bad Wolf has nothing to do with you." He said evenly. "At least not directly. You didn't create it." He huffed, lips sputtering comically. "Oh well. I'll just have to take my frustrations out in other ways."

Lucy bowed her head and started heading down the corridor of the ship, and the Master watched her go.

"Jack," The Master said, "I'll come play with you later."

"Look forward to it," Jack said as leeringly as possible before being shoved out the door.

He grinned the whole way back to where he was chained, remembering that glint in the Doctor's eyes and holding on to that as a form of hope.

* * *

 

Bad Wolf. Rose had to admit she was enjoying leaving the little calling card for the Master's thugs. It became a bit of a warning as opposed to a "we were here" tag now that she was the one writing it on walls. On their journey, Rose along with Tim did as much damage to factories or shipyards as they could in an effort to slow the Master's plans even a bit. There was always something to destroy, and something to destroy it with, and as time went on she understood that those words sent fear into the hearts of those not on her side. Once those words were seen, men and women started running despite the occasional orders she over heard demanding she be taken in or taken out.

And slowly those words became a sign of hope to others. Where ever she and Tim traveled they heard tales of Martha Jones, of the Doctor's stories, and now an entity that helped them both. Bad Wolf was thought to be anything from a specific kind of rebellion task force to the more commonly accepted single person. Some speculated it was Martha, but many pointed out that Martha was last seen in China, and Bad Wolf was in North America headed east. But none of it mattered to Rose, who when asked for her name now went by the infamous alias or Tim's affectionate nickname. She had nothing to hide, but she certainly wasn't trying to be legendary, either.

"Ah, smell that, Wolf Girl?" He asked as they stood on a pier, looking out over a harbor. "Ocean air. We're as far East as we can get now."

"In yet another destroyed city," Rose mused. "About a hundred feet away from the Master's shipyard.

"Funny that he has ships when he could fly." Tim noted as they took in the size of the tankard.

"Some things wouldn't be smart to transport by air." Rose noted.

"How did you and Martha get over here?" Tim asked, and Rose looked to see his genuine curiosity. She gestured to the ship. "Seriously?"

"Another reason there are so many boats: most planes are grounded. Need special clearance to be on one, and that usually means being one of Harold Saxon's lackeys." She explained. "She and I had our perception filters, we just walked right on and stayed hidden for five days."

"Huh," Tim snorted, and the pair turned away, heading back up the steep hill through the empty streets. "Have any idea where we're staying this evening? Not that I'm complaining, but even with you somehow scaring off the wild dogs I don't particularly enjoy the idea of spending another day outside."

"Oh, come on." Rose teased. "'S March. Everything the Master's done, it's practically global warming in full effect."

"But it's still fucking cold at night, and I don't particularly like the idea of a 900 year old alien coming to kill me because I've snuggled his woman for warmth."

Rose chuckled, looking at Tim with her tongue between her teeth as he blushed. "He won't kill you. You saved me, for that he'll be grateful."

"You can't die, how did I save you?" Tim asked with flared nostrils and a poorly hidden grin.

"Alone, not really fully understandin' what happens when I _do_ die. You said you had to be here when I arrived, that traveling with us would mean you'd miss out on that. I know you always thought it was so you could bring me out this way, but I think it was more."

"You needed someone period." He nodded.

"Yep," Rose said, popping the 'p', stopping as she noted a pub sign. "Beer never goes bad." She noted as she gestured to the sign. "Might not be cold, but hell."

"Thought you English drank your beer warm anyway?" He asked.

"Nasty," Rose turned her nose at it, and Tim chuckled. "Besides, you're how old again? You even allowed in there?"

"Drinking age is nineteen in this area. Pretty sure I'm above the legal limit anywhere but south of the border, and I don't think anyone's going to give a shit with the end of the world happening around them" Time countered, and Rose giggled.

"Alright, let's head in then." She gestured to the doors, trying them first before smashing the window and fingering the deadbolt lock. No alarms went off, much to her surprise, but then again electricity seemed to be a hard thing to keep stable these days.

"So we just going to sleep behind the bar or something? He asked as Rose made her way around to try the taps. She was giddy when they eventually started providing draft, even if it was a little moldy.

"Could do, yeah," She said. "But first, let's see what we got." She said, throwing her thumb over her shoulder and heading for the back room. She went in, hearing Tim starting to follow, and smiled when she saw the untouched cases of beer. "Drinks are on me, mate." She exclaimed, skipping over and grabbing a case from the top.

"What about the tap?" Tim asked as he rushed over to give her a hand despite knowing she wouldn't need it.

"It's nothing but mold." Rose replied. "This has been sealed, should be fine." She set the case down and blew at her bangs. "Now, food would be a good idea too. Looks like someone raided the crisps supplies a while ago. Don't even want to know what the freezer looks like."

"How can anyone leave behind perfectly good beer?" Tim asked as he ran his hands along the case.

"Who said they had?" A woman asked, and Rose turned to look at the lady with the shot gun pointed at them. She shifted to stand in front of Tim, hoping she wasn't going to learn the difference in healing time between a shot from a handgun and that.

"We're sorry," Rose said calmly, hands still at her side. "Just passing through, thought maybe we'd have a pint."

The woman's gaze narrowed on her. "Who are you?" She asked, not lowering the gun an inch.

"That's Tim," Rose said with a slight tilt of the head. "He calls me Wolf Girl."

"Wolf Girl?" The gun lowered a bit.

"Yeah." Tim said with a bit more attitude than he probably should. "As in Bad Wolf."

The gun was set aside. "Always thought you'd be butcher." The woman said as she came up to Rose and eyed her over. She towered over Rose, and probably intimidated a few people in her time.

"Appearances can be deceiving." Rose replied. "Now, if we're an issue, let us go. We'll be glad to move along."

"No," The woman said, "quite alright. You two need food, shelter?" She asked, looking over them both. "Look like you've had some better days."

"Haven't we all?" Rose countered.

To that, the woman laughed without humor. "Guess we have. Come on, follow me." She said, gesturing behind her before collecting her gun and leading them around the corner. There was a hidden door in the wall, and with a patter of knocks it opened.

"Underground. Clever." Rose commented as she and Tim were led down a set of stairs to the crowded basement.

"Keeps us hidden, that's for sure." She said. "You guys are welcome to stay down here for the night, but it's cramped."

"It's fine." Rose waved it off. "We'll manage."

* * *

 

"What's it like up there?" Tim asked her as they laid out on the roof top, the inside simply too cramped for even them to stay below. Eventually they'd return to the bar, sleep on the tables or on a bench, but the two travelers needed the air they'd grown used to.

"You know what it's like." Rose countered.

"I was on one planet for five minutes tops, two years ago. You live it. What's it like?"

"'S beautiful." Rose admitted. "I've seen so many things, so much that you couldn't even believe. Well, maybe you can." She said with a grin.

"One of the stories is that you've seen the end of the world, and it was so much further ahead than where we are now." Tim said, and Rose looked over to see his eyes had been staring off for a moment. "His last self, right?"

"Yeah," She nodded. "Though I usually leave that part out when I tell it. Creeps people out." She said with a smile.

Tim grinned. "I think it was smart you told that story, even if it was a different him." He said, eyes shifting to his knees where one leg was folded over the other. "I was talking to one of the girls in there. Hot, so, so hot. Which reminds me, you're now my sister if anyone asks. Anyway," He said, pointedly ignoring Rose's laugh. "She said that the stories of the Doctor had been circulating here for months, and that's the one that brings the most hope. That there was an end of the world, and now is not it. That he will step up and take out the bastard when you guys told people he would." He paused, shifting to lay on his side. "He will, won't he? Step up? Someone told me Japan was gone. Literally gone, just a wasteland of burn nothing. No one walked away but Martha, and I can't." He sucked in a breath. "This is way more messed up than it should've ever been."

"If I believe in one thing it's the Doctor." Rose said firmly, getting Tim to look her in the eye. "I'm not saying it because I love him, I'm saying it because I've seen him do so much for so many and never for his own benefit."

Tim nodded, the reassurance he usually needed when they arrived somewhere like this having been given.

"Wolf Girl," He said after a moment, licking his lips before pushing his tongue into the hollow of his cheek. "I think our time is up."

"Whaddya mean?" Rose asked, turning on her side.

He shook his head. "You gotta get back over there. There's forty-nine days left until the countdown, and you have to be there with the Doctor when it happens. You know it, I know it. Martha's three quarters of the way there, supposedly with the pieces of this fantastic weapon that's gonna kill the bastard cold. It's time you head over."

"What 'bout you?" Rose asked, her heart breaking a little.

Tim shook his head. "Thought things don't show me there. Don't show me anything, actually. Little worried about what that might mean."

It was Rose's turn to inhale deeply, turning away so he wouldn't see how much that scared her. "You won't die." She said firmly.

"You're not going to be here much longer to make sure that doesn't happen." He said with a bit of humor.

"Yeah, but your not." She said. "You're gonna survive, and in fifty days, maybe fifty one, you're gonna see a blue police box and you're going to be travelin' with us, you understand?" She demanded.

Tim laughed, his smile wide and child like. "Yeah, alright." He said.

"No, you are." She said firmly, and he rolled his eyes back to hers. "You're like a kid brother to me." She said with a catch in her voice. "Might just have an actual one in another universe but these last few months, with you, 's like I got to live what that's like. Jack's like the big brother I never had, but 's like you're the little brother I'd have never known otherwise."

"Hey, name's Tim, not Tony." He snorted.

"What?" Rose asked, her breath caught.

He looked over at her with a slight grin, his eyes glassy. "Just saying shit." He said quietly.

They both rolled back on to their backs, looking up at the stars above.

"When should I leave?" She asked him after the silence started to get too heavy.

"You should tomorrow." He replied.

"Okay," She said. "I'll leave first thing, before anyone really gets up."

Silence.

"Rose?" He said, and she whipped her head toward Tim at the use of her name. He looked at the space between them before looking at her. "Thank you. For everything. You and the Doctor, you guys saved my life way more than you know. In ways you can never imagine, and have from the day you landed in my hometown."

She smiled, lips in her mouth as she nodded and fought the urge to cry.

They stayed outside until it got too cold, then went to sleep in a booth inside.

When the sun started peeking through the window, Rose got up, kissed Tim on the forehead and left.

* * *

 

It had been a weapons ship, that big, beautiful thing in the harbor. She walked down to the pier, headed right for it, and was already aboard before someone noticed her. Rose had put up no resistance when they told her she was under arrest, and when asked who she was she simply replied, "Bad Wolf."

Calls were made, more guns started to get pointed toward her, and eventually they brought her down to her holding cell. She was stay on the ship, brought back to England, and from there an escort of armed men were to bring her to the nearest airfield where she'd have been brought up to the Valiant. But Rose knew that that wasn't going to happen. She didn't need Tim to tell her that it was too early, her gut told her that. So she took the utensil they had so kindly provided with her meal and etched the warning.

* * *

 

Drowning, not Jack's favorite way to go. And resurfacing for the third time to the Master's gleeful grin from watching it happen on repeat was starting to become boring.

"You're starting to lose your originality." Jack managed to say before his head was forced under again. Voices mumbled, and just as the black spots started clouding his vision he was pulled from the water.

"Hold on," The Master said to the guard holding Jack's neck before looking at the messenger in front of him. "What do you mean the ship was destroyed?"

"It was blown up off the coast of Cardiff." The man said, barely able to look the Master in the eye.

"Any survivors?" The Master asked, and the man fidgeted before he shook his head. "Good. This Bad Wolf person shouldn't be a problem." The man squeaked and the Master, who had been entirely set to resume Jack's death de jour, looked back at the messenger with dark, dangerous eyes. "What?"

"There are no survivors, Saxon, sir. But … well, there had been a couple before they succumbed to injury. They said," The man swallowed. "They said she jumped overboard."

"She?" The Master snorted before he smiled. "Did they give a description?" The man shook his head. "Too bad. At least we know she's here somewhere. Now, run along." He waved him off. He paused, his face a mix of various emotions before he looked to Jack, then to his guard. "Chain him back up. I'm done for today." And without another word, the Master left.

A girl. A Bad … Wolf … Girl.

Oh. Was it …?

Jack didn't dare hope or believe, but the next forty-two days started to seem a little more bearable at the thought that someone special was still out there after all.

* * *

 

She came to as arms pulled her from the water, and she hoped that it was friend and not foe.

"Easy now, we got ya," A friendly enough voice said as she felt her knees come in contact with wood. Opening her eyes, she looked up at the very spot the TARDIS would have been parked on a refuel. "What ya doin' in the harbor, missy?"

"Just going for a bit of a swim." She said, her voice weak. "Made it to Cardiff, did I?"

"That ya did. We weren't intending to stay here though, if that was your plan. We actually base in London, just had to come out here to deliver supplies while the threat seemed low." That voice said.

"London. Sounds perfect." She managed to say before slowly getting to her knees. Only her chest ached this time, and for that Rose was thankful.

"Names Bob," He said, and Rose finally looked up at the gruff looking skinny guy in clear rebellion attire. "And who are you?"

"Known around as Bad Wolf, me." Rose replied with a sly smirk, enjoying the way the man's eyes lit up.

"Are you?" Her body went cold at that voice, and she eyes narrowed as they turned a venomous gaze at the skinny, strawberry blonde standing five feet away. "Rose Tyler, chav from the Estates, is the Big Bad Wolf?"

"Jimmy Stone," She said as evenly as possible. "I would never have thought you'd be one of the good guys."


	31. The Year that Never Was pt 2

She held on to the roll bar of the jeep as they drove back to London, the wind in her hair an odd luxury for her. She felt Jimmy's eyes on her but she didn't care. Couldn't care. She was back on English soil, she _felt_ closer to the Doctor in a way she couldn't pin point, and it was wonderful. She worried for Tim, hoping he would be there waiting for them when it was all over. She thought of the infamous Martha Jones and hoped she managed to keep on her journey. But for now, Rose was happy.

"We don't have much," Baxter, the man who was with Jimmy, said from the driver's seat. "Small group, just a few survivors who managed to stay hidden. You familiar with UNIT?"

Rose snorted, "Companion of the Doctor, what do you think?" She said, leaning down so her voice would carry better.

Baxter chuckled. "Guess so. Anyway, place was pretty much destroyed when the spheres invaded, but the basement wasn't. We stay down there."

"How many of you?" She asked, letting go of the roll bar and sitting down in her seat beside him.

"About twenty adults and forty kids under eighteen." Baxter replied, his mustache flapping in the wind of the open vehicle.

"That's actually a pretty good rate." Rose said. "Seen far less."

At that, Jimmy chuckled.

Rose slowly turned and looked at him in the backseat. "What?" She asked.

"Not a thing," Jimmy said shaking his head and looking away.

She narrowed her gaze at him before turning around and facing forward. They picked up speed as they entered London, taking a lot of sharp turns that nearly had the jeep tilting over until they took one last corner and was suddenly in an underground parking garage.

Rose looked around as they came to a stop, noticing only another three vehicles, all of them parked haphazardly.

"We wondered when the spheres attacked if maybe they were given specific orders when it came to who to kill. Most all of UNIT headquarters were taken out." Baxter explained solemnly. Rose climbed out of the vehicle, following Baxter's lead as he directed them down a winding corridor. "The few members we have left don't even make up half the adult population here," he added as they came to a door, and Baxter punched in a code. "Everyone else were stragglers who somehow knew to come here, or got lucky."

There was a bit of commotion on the other side of the door, but it was mostly from kids running about. Letting Baxter continue to lead her, Rose looked around the some-what homey feeling bunker. There were rooms that had likely been offices at one point now housing 2-4 cots depending on the size, there'd been the common area they walked through, and Rose could smell a food wafting from a hidden kitchen. Baxter brought her down to the end of the hall, knocking twice on a door before opening it, a blonde woman speaking and pointing to a map of London while a brunette woman and a bald man looked on.

"We're back," Baxter said. "And we brought someone."

The blonde was the one who turned first, and upon seeing Rose she had a hint of recognition in her eyes.

But it was the brunette that drew Rose's attention with a gasp, and Rose's heart stopped when she met the woman's eyes.

"Sarah Jane," Rose barely said louder than a whisper before her fellow companion leapt out of the seat and held her tightly.

"Rose," She said, and Rose was rocked back and forth as her heart swelled. "Oh, God, it's good to see you." She stepped back, and her eyes were damp. "We heard stories months ago, tales of Martha Jones and Rose telling stories of the Doctor. Not long ago the reports we were getting back was that it was simply Martha."

"Had to lay low," Rose replied, still gripping Sarah Jane's shoulders. "Better most people think 'Rose' is dead."

"But you are," The Blonde said, her gaze narrowing on her in confusion. "Rose Marion Tyler, companion of the Doctor in his ninth and tenth incarnations, died at Canary Wharf at age twenty."

"I'm twenty-two, actually." Rose smirked, "And I didn't die, I just never had a reason to stay." She replied, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear and noticing Sarah Jane watching the motion intensely. "And should we really be talking the Doctor's regenerations with just anyone in the room?" Rose asked the blonde woman as she gestured to Jimmy standing a few feet away.

The blonde looked at him coldly. "All soldiers of UNIT are briefed on the Doctor, even those who are soldiers because we're desperate."

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am." Jimmy mocked behind her, and Rose rolled her eyes. "Where would you like me now?"

"You're relieved of duty for now," The blonde waved Jimmy away, and he snickered and mumbled before shutting the door roughly behind him. "Different times and I'd love to see that boy actually put through the basic." She said with a sigh. "I'm sorry, we've met but you don't remember me. Kate Lethbridge-Stewart." She offered Rose a hand. "My father was a good friend of the Doctor's."

"I've heard the stories." Rose said as she stepped back and leaned against the wall. "Well some of them," She shrugged. "He still doesn't tell me everything. Not yet anyway." She said with a smile, tongue between her teeth as she briefly allowed herself to remember her Doctor animatedly recounting tales in their 1969 flat.

It was a beautiful memory, him in only his pants, jumping about as he enthusiastically recounted adventures during one of the rare moments they had to themselves and were not otherwise occupied.

Kate smiled, maybe seeing the small gleam of joy in Rose's eye, or maybe for the fact that the Doctor never forgot her father. "When we met before, it's because all companions of the Doctor are interviewed and then have their memory erased. He thought you were visiting your mother, and you were, just not as long as he thought you were." The smile faded. "And I'm sorry about your loss. Or, am I?"

Rose smiled, though not as big as she had before. "She's trapped in a parallel Universe." Rose explained. "'S why there wasn't any reason for me to stay. My home is the TARDIS now."

"Where is it?" Kate asked. "We've looked everywhere, hoping to recover it and maybe …."

"'S on the Valiant." Rose replied sadly. "She's been cannibalized."

"What!?" Sarah Jane cried in horror, slowly sitting down in her seat.

Rose nodded sadly. "The Master, Harold Saxon, turned her into a paradox machine."

"Why?" Kate asked.

Rose shrugged. "Something to do with the Toclafane. And, if I had to wager, Utopia."

And to the confused expressions of Sarah Jane, Kate, Baxter, and the unknown bald man, Rose explained how they stumbled upon the Master at the end of the Universe. She left out no detail that seemed important, including her encounter with one of the spheres on the side of the road minus the detail of her dying.

"So there's a human head in those things?" Kate said after a long pause of silence.

"Yep," Rose said, popping the 'p'. "It's horrifying, really."

"And we really, truly need to wait for the count down to end before anything can happen?" Kate asked, seeming desperate for something different.

"We do." Rose said with a single nod. "One thought, at one time, using the very thing that brainwashed everyone into believing Saxon was a good man. I don't know what will happen when we all share that thought, I couldn't …," Rose closed her eyes. "His mind was closed to mine at the time, I couldn't see what he was thinking."

"You can …." Sarah Jane started to say, glancing very quickly at Rose's left hand. She cleared her throat. "You can read his mind?"

"Well, not entirely. Solve so many problems if I could," Rose said cheekily. "But I'm sorry, when it comes to his plan, that's all I know. But I'm here, and I have a lot of experience with getting supplies and causing a headache or two for the Master."

"Oh?" Kate said with interest. "How so?"

Rose smirked. "Ever heard of Bad Wolf?"

* * *

 

Rose had been sitting alone in what was known as the mess hall, a nearly empty bowl of soup in front of her as she stopped eating a while ago. A part of her was thinking of the Doctor, as it usually did, and being perceived to be so close to him at that moment was heady and depressing. Another part thought of Martha, making a name for herself for not only walking the world and spreading the word, but for surviving the horrors the Master inflicted. The last thought was of Tim, left behind nearly a week ago with an uncertainty of his future Rose was unable to calm. She wasn't there to protect him anymore, and she worried about the dangers he had very likely come across since their parting. He'd better be there when this was all over.

A shadow fell over her, and Rose tensed out of habit, her grip tightening on her spoon as if it could be used as a weapon.

"I saw your name," Sarah Jane's voice said as the woman sat down beside her with a gentle smile. "The memorial at Canary Wharf. I lost a few colleges, went down to see how much damage those blasted creatures caused, and saw your name." She looked down at her lap. "My heart broke for him, because I knew you were still with him when it all happened." She took a deep breath. "And Mickey?"

"With my Mum," Rose replied, smiling at the relief in Sarah Jane's sigh. "How did you get to be with this lot?"

Sarah Jane smiled, "Couldn't think of a better place to go when the world was ending." And then her eyes fell to Rose's left hand, and Rose understood why things felt weird. "I didn't get an invitation." She said somewhat pointedly.

"Hasn't happened yet," Rose replied quietly, leaning in so only Sarah Jane could hear. "If someone asks about my 'husband' I don't deny it, but it's all so complicated."

Sarah Jane laughed, head thrown back and eyes closed as the chuckles rolled out. "Oh that sounds exactly like him." She said with a grin. "Making even the most simple things complicated." She shook her head, looking Rose in the eye as her smile shifted from humor to concern. "All those stories we heard of Bad Wolf. That was really you?" Rose nodded. "You are quite remarkable. A legend almost as big as the Doctor or Martha."

"Bad Wolf is a name that gives the Doctor hope," Rose said. "The story behind it, the real story, is too long, complex, and dangerous. But like his name gives the world strength, that name gives it back to him. I only hope he's caught wind that it's out there, coming back to him."

"I'm sure he has," Sarah Jane smiled wickedly. "We don't get much for television, as I'm sure your journey's have made you aware. But once in awhile they'll be … updates. You have a bounty on your head, quite a big one at that. Information regarding your whereabouts, or even who you are, can make a person very comfortable under Saxon's reign."

Rose tapped the spoon in her open palm, looking around and spotting an unaware Jimmy on the other side of the room. "I bet," She said, unable to tear her eyes away from her ex-boyfriend.

"You don't trust Jimmy," Sarah Jane said without a hint of surprise.

"Neither do you." Rose replied, eyes still on him.

"Most of us don't, to be honest. That's why Kate dismissed him, because there's been a couple times where only he and one other from the camp came back. Our numbers have slowly dwindled, and while there have been other causes, Jimmy seems to be at the center of most."

"He always was the kind to sell his friend out for a quid," She said, diverting her eyes as Jimmy's head turned slightly. "Or hit his girlfriend for lack of one." She mumbled, unsure if Sarah Jane heard, and not really caring if she had.

"Sarah Jane, you're needed in area 12." Someone shouted, and Sarah Jane turned toward it.

"Alright, be right there!" She called back before turning to Rose with a smile. "I want to hear all about what the two of you had been up to since we parted ways before."

"We should swap stories." Rose nodded with a grin.

Sarah Jane gave Rose's shoulder a squeeze before getting up and heading off to where ever area 12 was. As she turned away, her eyes fell on Jimmy, catching him staring at her. She averted her eyes before standing, grabbing her dish and setting it in the kitchen before heading off to explore.

* * *

 

It had been three weeks since Rose washed up in Cardiff. She slept well most nights, though being where she was brought on more dreams of the Doctor than she'd had in a long time. Most were good, others ….

Lost to the void oh so long ago, watching him shot by Daleks in New York only to find she still had to live out what would have been her natural life, burning with him as the ship they were on crashed into a sun. And the worst, the ones that recurred the most, had the Master invading her dream like he did oh so long ago. Be it him replacing or killing the Doctor outright, he was there, haunting her, taunting her. And on those nights she hardly slept.

On those nights she found herself in a small, make shift gym that was probably used to train civilian soldiers in the early days of the Master's reign. She'd heard a few stories as she helped the make-shift UNIT team get supplies to groups that needed it, how they all assumed that they could defeat the Time Lord and his army of spheres if only they had enough man power. How that all slowed after a few months to defending those who happened to escape.

Twenty-two days left of this, then the count down will reach zero, and the Master will fall. With every punch and kick Rose threw at the bag before she thought of Saxon, of what he did to her planet, her Love, her friends who were family. She thought of all the things she wanted to do to him as they seeped up from the darkest parts of her soul. For every time he killed her, a part of her wanted to kill him in return knowing that he'd run out of regenerations. It made her punch harder, kick higher, hold back the screams in her lungs until they burned.

And with one swift kick, the bag flew across the room and almost hit Jimmy in the head.

Too bad it missed.

"I'd say I was impressed," Jimmy said as he walked over to her slowly. "But you probably didn't have the bag latched right."

"Could alway hang another for me," Rose panted a bit. "Hold it steady just in case."

Jimmy snickered, grabbing another bag and hanging it. He let his eyes linger on her sweaty form through every action, and while once that look made Rose quiver with anticipation it now made her sick to her stomach.

"So," he said as he latched the new bag in to place. "We haven't gotten a chance to talk since you washed up."

"Probably, 'cause I was avoiding you. " Rose said, throwing a punch much harder than Jimmy was obviously expecting. She tried not to smile at the grunt. "But since you're here, obviously got something you wanna say."

"I do," He said before grunting, the bag hitting him harder once again. He tried to tighten his grip on it, keeping it steady. "So which one of your boyfriends taught you this?" Jimmy asked, jaw clenched against the force of Rose's impacts.

"Whaddya mean?" She asked as she started to put as much strength behind each hit as she could.

"Tall, ugly guy with big ears, or that pretty boy fag who threatened me shortly after?"

If anyone asked, the bag slipped and that's how Jimmy got a black eye and a broken nose in under five seconds and before he even had a chance to react. It wasn't her fault that her punctuating kick landed in his gut and not on the bag, which launched him three feet away and onto a mat that thankfully broke his fall. She'd hate to have to explain a broken tail bone.

"Do _not_ talk 'bout the men I love like that or next time I won't be so nice." She said in an eerily calm voice as she came to stand over him, Jimmy looking up at her with a snarl on his lips. "And for the record, I don't need the Doctor or Jack to fight my battles for me, I'm my own weapon these days and you better believe that neither of them wanted it that way." She crouched down, grabbing Jimmy by the collar and pulling him closer. A tiny thrill went through her as he winced. "I've a reputation, Jimmy, that extends much farther in the Universe than a few bases blown up. There are creatures out there who fear the name 'Bad Wolf', creatures who would have you pissing yourself at the thought."

She didn't know where it came from, but even her quick reflexes couldn't stop Jimmy from grabbing her head and forcing his kiss on her. She pulled back, stronger than she was at sixteen, grabbing his arm and bending it behind him almost to the point of breaking before back-handing him across the face. "Not that girl anymore, Jimmy." She spat. "So don't even try."

She gave him a hard shove before getting to her feet, turning away from the disgusting excuse of a human laying on the floor.

"Fearsome indeed." He had to get in the last word. "And what would your husband think of you becoming a murderer, supposedly in his name?" That stopped her, and she turned quickly to see that leering smile back on his face. "Bad Wolf has been a bad girl. Always liked a bad girl, me. Even if she was just a chav."

Rose's fist clenched into balls, the only thing she could do from going over there and killing him with her bare hands.

"Watch your mouth," She said as calmly as she could. "Or I'll add your name to the list."

"And what the list it is." Jimmy said as he struggled to his feet. "Kate's got the stats and let me tell you it's an impressive number. Your Doctor would be so proud."

Before he or she could say another word, Rose left the gym.

She should wash up. She should see if the kitchen needs help. Hell, she should sleep because it was needed, but now she knew she couldn't.

Heading toward the offices, she used her access codes given to her by Kate to access the office. Inside, she searched the folders for reports, chuckling to herself in a nervous way at the thought that even with the world dying around them the paper-pushers continued. When she came to the one labeled "B.W." she cringed at the thickness of it.

Taking it out of the filing drawer, she sat at the desk Kate normally occupied and began to go over the file.

Thunder Bay, Montreal, Waterville, Springhill, and another half a dozen cities were listed, all of them having held a site where the Master used the human race as slaves to build his universal war machines, his weapons to oppress the populace, where he withheld basic necessities that she, Tim, and a few other rebels either destroyed or liberated for the benefit of the greater good. She could see the reports those they helped sent out to their fellow rebels, the success they felt they had from these little ventures, and how even for a brief time there was a lift in spirits and quality of life.

But Rose's stomach was in knots, a lump in her throat the only thing holding back the bile as she read what was on every report.

_Death Toll._

There was always a count for both sides, and while the rebels had a few losses it was the later that disturbed her.

Every single place she went, where either she or Tim left the 'Bad Wolf' mark before an explosive went off either with her still inside or not, nearly all of the men and women working for the Master were severely injured or killed.

_Since it's been rumored that the Toclafane are sent in to finish off those that failed their Master, Harold Saxon, it's safe to say that there are no survivors. Credit for mission success attributed to: Bad Wolf._

She couldn't help but remember every single instance. How many of those bullets did she fire with the intention of missing but hadn't? How many times did she purposely make the hit and didn't seem to care? She always yelled ample warning before setting a bomb to explode what ever they were destroying, and she knew by the screams that maybe not all of them got away safely. But in Rose's partially naive mind, she hadn't once truly considered that all this made her a killer. A murderer. She was vengeful, dying so many times in so many ways under the command of the same man will want prompt a girl to want to rip Saxon's hearts out and crush them with her bare hands. But all those other people, they were just following orders. And she killed them, whether she meant to or not, she took their lives and in so many instances she walked away without batting an eye.

Swallowing back the panic, Rose closed her eyes and reasoned with herself. She killed Daleks, turned them to dust. They were evil, but they were living creatures. She killed them, and never felt guilty doing it. She was quick to let that poor man get sucked out the shot out ship while circling the impossible planet. It was life or death then, but the possessed man had been that: a man, and she killed him without a second thought. She considered all the times she allowed the Doctor to trigger the death of an alien indirectly, like the Slitheen, the Gelth, so many others, and she stood by without much guilt. Aliens, it was because they were aliens and not humans, and that's why she was okay with it, right? Except she was fine with ending Lazarus's life and he was human. Evolved and monstrous, but human.

But this? They were not threatening her life, not really. Tim's, yes, and she always made sure he was safe. Those were the bullets that landed, the bombs with shorter detonation times, but she didn't kill large-scale for fun. There was no need for all those people to die. And what's worse, is she remembered how she'd walk away from it all. Like a warrior woman in the movies, she walked out of the explosions unscathed except for parts of her clothing, her head high and hips swinging as she smiled at the cheering rebels who praised Bad Wolf. And then they listened to the stories she had of the Doctor with their full attention, in awe that someone was even more powerful than her. She never told the stories any differently than she had before, but ….

What if now they thought he'd spill the Master's blood? What would be the results if the Doctor spared him?

No, no, she couldn't think like that, either at the possible outcry at the Master's lack of execution, or the idea that her beloved Time Lord would be the one that did it.

A knock on the door frame startled her, and she looked up to the Jake, the bald man she had met on the first day who spoke with a heavy Scottish accent. "We're heading North for a food run," he said. "Care to come?"

She nodded, not trusting her voice at the moment, not with her stomach still in knots knowing that she was considered a revered killer. She followed Jake out down the hall, let him lead her to a jeep, and only gave Sarah Jane a smile when she climbed in.

Jimmy followed shortly, his eye black, his nose having seen better days, but no one said anything about it as they headed off with their crates of tins in the back.

* * *

 

"We have to get out of here now!" Jake yelled over the gun fire, mostly to Sarah Jane who was trying to shield a small girl from the violence around them.

"Not that easy, Jake." Rose yelled back, firing off three shots with her head not entirely in the battle. She didn't want to add another name to the list, but they were being backed into a corner with no exit.

"I'll cover you guys, Jimmy and you get the kid and Sarah Jane out." Jake suggested, ducking at the sound of gun shots.

"How do we know they don't already have the jeep surrounded?" Rose asked, popping up to fire a few more rounds before crouching behind the crates again.

"We don't, but it's our only shot for getting out of this god-forsaken trap." Jake retorted, his turn to shoot off a couple rounds.

Rose nodded, looking to Jimmy. "You heard him, move."

"Fat chance," Jimmy said. "I seem to be a better shot than you are, Bad Wolf." He said loud and mocking.

Something in Rose's mind shifted and she stood, shot three rounds, downing three enforcement officers. Jimmy looked on, jaw slacking a bit. "Get her out of here, now!" Rose snarled, and Jimmy didn't hesitate in going over to Sarah Jane and the girl.

Rose side stepped, giving him cover, ignoring the bullet that grazed her hip as she fired the last rounds in her chamber before changing out the clip.

"Jake, go on ahead." She said as he blinked at the blood dripping down her leg.

He nodded, falling back with Jimmy and the others.

"The fucking jeep is surrounded." Jimmy's voice called out.

Her breathing grew heavy, her mind reeling. No way was she walking out of this warehouse the only survivor all because they fell for a distress call. No way was she being captured and dragged to the Master before she was ready, only to have her secrets revealed and her added to his collection of unkillable pets to be tortured for the next three weeks. "Go," She said, pointing to a corner in the warehouse. "Leave this to me. Don't come out until I say." She said, turning to Jake who nodded, pulling the others with him into hiding.

As she stood alone, her heart hammering, her mind pushing the Doctor back into the furthest recesses where his smiling face or warm brown eyes couldn't pass judgment, she steeled herself as a few of the enforcement officers came toward her.

One of them snickered. "Aren't you brave. Surrendering?"

"Hardly," She replied flatly.

One made to grab her, and she twisted his arm around like she had with Jimmy by didn't stop as she felt the bone snap. He cried out in agony, dropping to the ground.

Another two came at her, and she shot one before the second attempted to grab her. A stomp of her foot, an elbow to the solar plexus, a swift hit in the neck on a pressure point and he was on the ground, crushing his buddy with the broken arm and causing another scream to emerge.

The other half a dozen enforcement officers hesitated.

"What's a matter?" She asked evenly, cold and robotic. "Afraid of the Bad Wolf?" Six guns were drawn on her instantly, and it actually made her laugh. "Blimey, word gets around."

"You're worth something to Saxon," A woman said. "Doesn't matter if you're brought in alive."

"Please." Rose said, shaking her head. "Try. Please, go ahead. Try." She challenged. "Because I would _love_ if you could put me out of my misery right now. Honestly, put a bullet in my head. See if it makes a difference." No one moved, and she sighed. "'Course you're not going to try. Never gets easy killing, yeah?"

She could sense the shift of someone off to the side, and she shot the officer firing at her. Her bullet hit his arm, his missed and hit the wall.

"Let us walk out of here," She said, "And I won't down another soldier. 'S all I ask, that you let me and my people walk out of here."

The moment was tense, and she waited. This was the right thing to do, they way she wished she could have always done it. But it's not like she was often face to face with those who tried to take her down. Guns lowered slightly, and she felt a touch of relief.

"Nope," She heard that woman say. "Mister Saxon's orders were clear. Dead or alive."

The bullet hit Rose just above her heart, the pain dizzying. Her self preservation took over then, and she emptied most of her clip into the officers who surrounded her. Falling on her knees, surrounded by quiet and pain, she started to cry. She added to the list. She didn't want to do that, but even with that thought she put the officer with a broken arm out of his misery as she saw him weakly grab his gun and point it away from her.

Swaying, Rose fell back, expecting to hit the floor but found herself cradled in a lap instead. Panic and terror came over her, draining the blood from her face faster than her injuries would have allowed.

"It's okay," Sarah Jane soothed. "It's okay, you're not alone."

"Jimmy," Rose managed to choke out, tasting the strong iron flavor of blood in her mouth.

"He's with Jake, and the girl. Do you want me to…?" Sarah Jane started to ask, and Rose thought she saw tears in her eyes through her blurred vision.

"No," She said, her body trembling. "No, keep away. Keep 'em away." Rose stammered, her breath growing short. Another couple breaths, and the blackness came over her.

The deep intact of breath was rougher than normal. Had been a while since she'd taken one in the chest, she supposed. She registered a muffled scream from Sarah Jane, and her eyes popped open to see the disbelieving look in her fellow companions eyes, her mouth covered by her hands.

"Don't say anything," Rose said, slowly getting up as Sarah Jane nodded. "Go tell them it's safe to come out." Rose suggested, as she got on her feet, giving Sarah Jane a rub and pat on the arm.

Another nod, and Sarah Jane moved to where Jimmy, Jake, and the girl used as bait had been hiding.

Rose's eyes fell on the pool of her own blood, then to the pile of soldiers with fatal wounds. At least one of them was alive, for now. He probably wouldn't be once he wakes up to find himself the only survivor. Dipping her finger in her blood, she quickly wrote out those two words before hearing the others coming out of hiding.

"Holy shit," Jimmy's voice carried. "You did that? On your own."

"Yeah," Rose said, turning away from the words and heading for the others. "Come on, let's go before the Toclafane decide to show up."

She climbed in the jeep, ignoring the questioning gaze from Sarah Jane as they headed speedily back to London.

* * *

 

She sought solitude when they arrived back at the base, but since anywhere outside of the underground was considered unsafe to only place Rose could find it was the mess hall after everyone else went to sleep. So she wandered there, hoping to be alone with her thoughts only to discover Sarah Jane sitting at the table alone, a teapot and a mug beside her. She looked up, doing a double take as Rose came closer. "I always make too much," She said. "There are mugs in the kitchen."

Rose nodded, heading to get one and then returning to sit next to Sarah Jane.

"Giving you nightmares now, am I?" Rose guessed as she poured her tea, plopping in a couple sugars and giving it a stir.

Sarah Jane snorted. "The whole world is a nightmare now, isn't it?" She quipped, and Rose couldn't argue with the logic. "I'm sorry if I seemed … that's to say I'm sorry if how I acted in the warehouse wasn't very helpful."

"Oh, Sarah Jane, no." Rose reassured, putting her hand on her fellow companion's arm. "No, don't worry about that."

"I've seen the Doctor regenerate, but that was …," She shook her head. "Does he know?"

"No," Rose shook her head. "No, head doesn't. I can only think of one time that I may have died and came back while we were traveling, and I'm not sure if that's actually what took place. Got hit in the head with some debris on a space ship." She shrugged. "It's all so new."

"And related to what happened to you? The long, complicated thing?" Sarah Jane determined, and Rose knew her silence was answer enough. Silence passed between them where Rose braced herself for all the angles Sarah Jane could come at her with. Instead, after a deep breath she asked, "I can't be sure, but I believe that trap was arranged."

"Me too," Rose agreed. "Someone knew you wouldn't be armed, and that we'd all want to protect a little girl. Has she spoken yet?" Rose asked, and Sarah Jane shook her head. "Thought not. Traumatized, likely. And that's the thing, she was a pawn. She may have parents looking for her now, and if she doesn't talk because of what happens I don't know who I'd blame more. The Master, or the bloody git who's trying to play both sides."

"And I think we both know who that is." Sarah Jane mumbled.

"I've talked to Kate," Rose said in a hushed voice. "She can't prove it's Jimmy, not when Jake could still be the possible snitch, too. But I think … I think I know how to use this to my advantage." Sarah Jane's eye brow arched. "Twenty-one days I'm going to act on it, with her permission. Drive out the snitch, and get me where I want to be."

"That plan almost sounds like one _he_ would come up with." She noted.

Rose snorted, shaking her head. "Time was I would have agreed. But I've changed so much in the last year, not sure I'm the same woman anymore." She said, worrying her ring as she looked at a spot in the distance. "Tried to reason that I always had no choice, that all the bad ones I've made was because it there weren't any others. But he'd have always found another."

"It's true he abhors violence," Sarah Jane nodded. "But one has to wonder where we'd be now if he'd done something to take the Master out."

"I don't think it would be that simple." Rose shook her head. "And trying to think on it, trying to see things how they could have been, just doesn't help any, you know?"

"I do," Sarah Jane agreed, sipping her tea. "I just hope this plan of yours will work."

At that Rose smiled, wide and honest. "It's impossible for it not."

* * *

 

It had been three hundred and sixty-three days since Martha had stepped foot on English soil, and she knew in two days the journey would be over. Done. Mission accomplished, and she had complete and utter faith that the Doctor's plan would work. Everywhere she went, she would tell those who spoke of her like a legend that they had it all wrong and then tell them the stories she had memorized. She told them of his Earthly saves of the past, even if she wasn't personally there for them. She never held back the fact that she loved him, still, wholly and without question, and she was certain that added to the faith the people now had in an alien they didn't see.

And it was that love that had her holding on even as she was dragged away from the wreckage that took Rose's life, because someone would have to show him he was still worth it.

Rose.

She thought of her often. How poorly she treated her, how she wasted too much time competing against her and not enough actually getting to know her. Not until it was too late, not until circumstances made them both change who they were for the sake of survival. Looking back, as always happens when someone dies, Martha couldn't quite remember the faults. She could, however, recall with glaring detail all the ways Rose brought light into the Doctor's life. What would he be like without it?

She imagined it at night as she laid under the stars or on a cot, trying to sleep and finding it nearly impossible. She imagined the storm raging, the destructive force that may just take out the Master simply for the loss he caused. She imagined the aftermath of that filled with fits of tears and blame, on both her and himself. And always, because love and hope were still strong within her, she imagined she would comfort him. Emotionally at first, and then eventually it would be physical. She swore to herself she would not be replacing Rose, that this wasn't her trying to win the affections of the Doctor. Martha knew that the love she felt for him was still strong and still real, but may only ever be reciprocated in time. And as if to prove herself a good person at her core, those mental images of her and the Doctor clutching to each other in the privacy of her TARDIS bedroom were always plagued by guilt. Those arms belonged around Rose, and the Doctor may not know that those arms of his would never encircle his precious girl again.

She wept for him at the thought.

"Mademoiselle Martha," A man said to her, snapping her out of her thoughts. "We're ready to cross," He said to her in French, TARDIS translation still working despite the poor ship's condition. "But we have to go now while the sun is setting."

"Alright." She replied, her speech translated for her. "Here we go, time for the home stretch."

"You have your weapon?" he asked uneasily.

"Of course," Martha said, patting the bag.

"Good, good," Said the Frenchman. "When the countdown reaches zero, we can all breathe easy."

"As long as we all think of him." Martha nodded before climbing into the small row boat with the man and another, heading into the waters of the English channel as the curtain of night fell.

And she thought of him. Of his warm brown eyes, and his manic smile. Of his perfect hair and the way he kissed her both as a Time Lord and a human, and how she hoped he would let the love she had for him get him through the grief of his lost Rose. That maybe she could mend his hearts, and he would let her. When the countdown reaches zero, and the Master is taken out, that's when the healing can begin. For him, for her, for the world. Two days, and it will all be over.

And she hoped that where ever Rose was she was smiling down at them, thankful someone would be with her Time Lord when she no longer could be.


	32. Last of the Timelords

Twenty hours remaining on the countdown, and word made its way to the UNIT base: Martha Jones was back home.

Rose smiled from her spot at the back of the room as Kate briefed the ten remaining men and women who hadn't been injured in the last three weeks as to what had to happen, how they all had to make sure their Saviour arrived in London at the base without issue.

"There's word," Kate said, looking around the room. "That Martha Jones hasn't just been spreading stories as she walked to Earth. She's been collecting pieces to a gun, a special weapon created back in the nineties after years of watching the Doctor and other Time Lords coming to earth. While the Doctor worked for UNIT, we had time to study his biology and with that information a defense was developed should he or any other Time Lord cause problems with us."

"Not possible," Sarah Jane said with a shake of her head.

"Very," Kate said seriously. "And one of those pieces was located here, the final piece Martha needs so she and the Doctor can defeat the Master, Saxon, and we can take back our Earth."

"What about the spheres?" Someone near the front asked.

"They're readying for the Universal strike the Master has planned," Rose said , and eyes turned to her. "There's reports that they've abandoned every post and are heading out of the atmosphere. Which is a good thing, because if the best defense the Master has is heading away from him than he has no idea we have a fool proof way to stop him."

"An advantage we can't let fall through the cracks." Kate said with a nod. "So that said, we need to ensure that Martha gets here. Sarah Jane will stay here with me and the children, the rest of you will be divided into pairs. Baxter, Jimmy, you two will be posted near the Thames, Quinton and Mario, I want you two to drive out to the south end of London. Jake, Rose, you two will stay here and guard the entrance, make sure Martha sees someone she can trust."

"You sure she actually trusts Rose?" Jimmy asked with a snort, and Rose glared at the back of his head. The bruises she'd given him had cleared up, maybe he needed new ones.

"She thinks I'm dead," Rose said evenly, trying to keep the sneer out of her voice. "Biggest apprehensions she'll have is thinkin' she's seeing a ghost."

No one said anything to counter that, and after the silence lingered in the air, Kate sighed heavily. "Alright. We only have one shot at this," Kate said calmly. "In all likelihood, Martha won't even be near us until nightfall. If we have any hope of catching her on time, then we should all try to rest up now. It'll be a long night, and tomorrow a longer day." And with that, everyone but she and Rose left the room, Sarah Jane giving the latter a knowing smile as she passed. When the door closed, Rose met Kate's eye. "Think they bought it?" Kate asked with a smirk.

"Ones that needed to did." Rose smiled back, pushing off the wall and coming to sit in a chair opposite of Kate at her desk. "Martha won't make it anywhere near London, I don't think. 'S pretty obvious if our channels caught word she's back, then so has the Master's."

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Kate asked for the half a dozenth time since she and Rose formulated their plan. "Must be a better way to get you up on that ship with the Doctor."

Rose shook her head. "Not that I can think of. Play to the greed, best way to do it. Price on my head has only grown, and if there's one thing the Master taught me at the end of the Universe 's that people will do anything to ensure they survive. Count down only hours away from completing, best to hand me over to the man in charge in case the Doctor's plan fails and we all go to war with the Universe."

Kate nodded, and Rose could tell she was resigned. There was no other way, they both knew that.

* * *

 

_Am I still good? Am I still your precious girl? Will you still love me after all I've done?_

The thoughts danced around in Rose's mind as she lay on her cot, trying to rest but finding it nearly impossible after what she had witnessed on every monitor in the base.

"My people, salutations on this eve of war." The Master's smug face had filled the screen, his voice silencing all those in the base. "And what an eve it is! It's come to my attention that there are whispers down there, stories of a child walking the Earth, giving you hope. Of a wolf doing the same with its own stories and acts of rebellion all in the name of the Doctor. Well," The camera followed the Master as he knelt beside the Doctor in his wheel chair, looking exactly the same as he had when she left him. Rose had gasped, moving to the nearest monitor and kneeling before it. Her fingers lingered over the screen near the lines of his cheeks, and she felt the tears rise in her eyes as her heart swelled at the sight of him. A sight her mind could never get quite right, and whether his face was old or not she didn't care. He was there, for her to see, and her strong facade was fading fast.

"How much hope does this man have?" The Master continued. "Say hello, Gandalf. Except he's not that old. But, he is an alien with a much greater lifespan than you stunted little apes. What if it showed? Hmm? What if I suspended your capacity to regenerate?" The fingers that had been lingering on the image of the Doctor suddenly clamped into a fist, her nostrils flaring as she lip curled. The Master stepped away, his laser screwdriver emerging from his jacket as the camera widened the shot. "All nine hundred years of yours life, Doctor. What if it showed?" And then the Doctor was in agony, and Rose growled in her throat, sensing those behind her backing up. "Older, older, and older!" The Master chanted happily, and Rose punched the screen, shattering it before diverting her attention to one that was still intact. "Down you go, Doctor." The Master grinned as the Doctor virtually vanished, all remaining of him seeming to be the suit he was wearing. Rose did her best to keep her breathing even, though the depth and pace of those breaths were too deep and quick for anyone to believe she was calm. "And look at that." The Master said as a head reminding Rose of Doby the house elf popped out of the neck of the Doctor's oxford. Unfamiliar as he looked, his eyes were still the same. She never thought those eyes would bring her pain, but they did. He was helpless, and in turn so was she. And Rose knew, without a doubt, she needed to be up there with him. "Received and understood, miss Jones?" The Master said to the camera, the start of Rose's alias on his lips though he seemed unable to say it. After a few seconds, the transmission cut out.

No one said anything to her, moving out of Rose's way as she stormed first to the gym, then to her cot where she was having the worst time dealing with it all.

Her outburst clearly had some people on edge, and while it was a reassurance that the acts she committed over the last few months were getting to the Master with the two words attached, she was no longer sure it was bringing the Doctor any kind of hope. For all she knew, he was told how many people Bad Wolf killed in his name, how much damage she had done, and it was causing him to question who and what she was.

And if she were honest, she wouldn't blame him. Because she had been wondering that for too long herself.

She only had hours left before her and Jake would be stationed outside the door, waiting for the person who would likely never come. And if all went according to plan, by morning Rose will be arrested and brought on board the Valiant.

But what happens after? Was she still good? Had she changed too much?

Sighing, she punched her pillow, shifting around and trying to get comfortable enough to sleep.

* * *

 

Martha sat in the living quarters of a woman who she knew to be a traitor, clutching a mug of tea tight in her hand as she attempted to push back the unsettled feeling that lingered after watching the Doctor being reduced to nothing, and then finding that once sweet boy from the end of the Universe trapped inside the Toclafane sphere. His head, oh it was virtually mummified, and if it wasn't for him recognizing her, repeating back some of the things she had said to him all that time ago she'd never have believed it. It had been rumored once that the Bad Wolf had known what was inside the sphere, but the story had gotten so skewed as she traveled she wasn't sure which one was real. Never did she imagine it was the human head, not once did she want to believe that one was real. But when she found out about the one downed in Africa, the one that provided all that information on the disc, well, she knew she would find someone who could figure it out eventually.

She thought of the head, and she shuddered.

Did the Doctor know what was inside them?

"I think it's time we had the truth, Miss Jones." Said Professor Docherty, the woman known to the resistance as a traitor despite her believing they were in the dark. "The legend says you've traveled the world to find a way of killing the Master. Tell us, is it true?"

Martha smiled, happy to know that Docherty was asking all the right questions. "Before I escaped, the Doctor told me that he and the Master had been coming to Earth for years, and they've been watched by UNIT and Torchwood. They were studying Time Lords in secret, and the made this, the ultimate defense." She said as she opened her bag and removed the case.

For all intents and purposes it looked _real_.

It wasn't long post Rose's death that she came across a small town with a toy store. She found the perfect water pistol, one that had three chambers for (as the package read) "ultimate summer fun". She carried it with her until she neared California and came across a resistance camp with an artist among the survivors. She'd sworn him to secrecy as he painted the gun for her, and by the time time he was finished the bright colored plastic looked like cold metal. The case she carried it in was painstakingly crafted by a man in Japan before it burned, truly believing that Martha had been reckless to carry such a weapon with the chemicals loose in her bag.

Tom, the man who had been with her since she arrived on English soil, scoffed. "All you need to do is get close. I can shoot the Master dead with this," He said, waving his hand gun around.

"Actually, you can put that down now, thank you very much." Docherty scowled.

"You could shoot him, yeah but it wouldn't kill him. Time Lords have this way they can bring themselves back to life. Makes them near immortal, except if they get his with this." She said, picking up the gun. "Four chemicals, slotted into the gun. One injection kills a Time Lord permanently," She said with practiced ease.

"Four chemicals?" Tom said, looking at the veils in case. "You only got three."

"Still need the last one 'cause the components of this gun were kept safe," Martha replied, her lines rehearsed often enough that she didn't have to fake the confidence, nor did she stumble on the delivery. "I found these three in different places: San Diego, Beijing, and Budapest. I had my suspicions the last was in London, but I didn't get confirmation until about a week ago when I received a letter with the access codes for an old UNIT base in London."

"A letter? In these times? From who?" Docherty asked.

From inside her jacket, Martha with drew the envelope showing it to Docherty and Tom.

_For Martha Jones. Love, Bad Wolf._

"It had been passed along from base to base, stopping in France where it was considered likely I'd end up. Inside were numbers and the name of the base in London, that's it." Martha lied.

 _You know where you need to be when the count down ends,_ the letter read. _The best way to get there is to come to this location. We both know the gun is a fake, but say this is where the chemical is anyway. I'll see you on Doomsday. Bad Wolf xo._

The letter had been typed, and before she burned it Martha took care to copy the co-ordinates herself so the secret of the gun would remain. Who ever Bad Wolf was, because it certainly couldn't have been Rose. Not when she watched the fire burn the way it had.

Martha had her suspicions that it was Jack, the only other person aside from her and the Doctor who could possibly have known the name Rose had chosen when she did that thing with the Vortex. It was possible that he escaped too, wasn't it? The last Martha saw or heard of him was on the Valiant, but a man who can't die could do a lot of things to escape an airship and survive. Wishful thinking, perhaps, but it was the only explanation other than Rose leaving messages to her from beyond the grave.

Or she somehow survived.

"Tom," Martha said, getting the man's attention as he looked at the envelope with the same puzzled expression Docherty had. "Can you get me there?"

"Yeah," He said instantly. "We can't go across London in the dark, it's full of while dogs and we'd get eaten alive, but we can get halfway, stay at the slave quarters in Bexley."

"As long as I'm in London well before the countdown ends tomorrow, all should be fine," Martha said with nod.

"Well then, we should get to Bexley then." Tom said, standing and offering his hand to Docherty. "Professor, thank you."

"Good luck," She replied before turning a little sheepishly to Martha. "Could you do it? Could you actually kill him?"

"Got no choice." Martha replied, looking the Professor dead in the eye.

"You might be many things, but you don't look like a killer to me." Docherty said.

"Well," Martha looked down at the case holding the gun, slowly closing it and putting it in her bag. "Bad Wolf will be there, at that base in London," She said, hoping that this wasn't a mistake on her part. "If I can't do it, Bad Wolf can." She put her bag on her back, making a quick adjustment before smiling thinly again. "Thanks again, Professor, for all your help." She added before moving to stand by Tom, nodding at him once before the two of them left the Professor's home.

How long did she have before the Master caught wind of where she was? And was it a bad thing if she wasn't in London when she was finally apprehended. Martha didn't worry about it, not too much. She made it this far without Bad Wolf's assistance, she was sure she could finish her mission without them.

* * *

 

Rose's heart hammered in her chest, her breath dancing in front of her and giving away how nervous she was. It had been so long since her confidence wavered like this that she almost didn't know what to do. She'd rub her palms together, on her hips, shifting her weight from one leg to another as hours passed and the sky slowly started to lighten.

"I don't think she's coming," Jake said evenly, eyes squinting as he searched the horizon.

"Really doesn't matter is she does," Rose murmured just a little louder than if the words had only been meant for her, which earned her the side long glance from Jake she was expecting. He didn't say anything, simply turning to look back out on the horizon like he had been.

She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breath, her heart, telling herself it was all going according to plan. If she wanted to have any affect at all, she had to push her nerves aside. And so she did.

Instantly she was still, focused, eased, her emotions tucked away in a little box in the back of her mind as she stood stiffly beside Jake.

Footsteps hammering the pavement from her left drew her attention instantly, and she watched as an exhausted seeming Jimmy came jogging toward her, gun in hand and looking for all the world ready to fall on his face.

"They took her," He managed to say when he was about ten feet away. "Martha. Jones. Taken. Saxon. Found her. Bexley."

"Where is she now?" Rose asked, turning to Jimmy and taking a couple steps toward him.

He breathed, heavy and hard, trying to catch his breath with his smoker's lungs. He looked up at her, eyes watered from the struggle. "With him," he said in one breath.

"Good," Jake said, and the sound of a gun shot rang through the air before Jimmy was thrown back on his ass, clutching his shoulder and crying in pain.

Rose smiled, shook her head, and turned slowly to Jake. "You didn't have to shoot him, you know." She said calmly. "Jimmy'd go along with whatever if it meant saving his ass."

"What?" She heard Jimmy say behind her but she kept her focus on Jake.

Jake shrugged, "Felt good to get a round off in him. He pisses me off often enough. Now," he gestured with his gun, "hands up, Bad Wolf."

"Seriously?" She scoffed, seeing the small army of enforcement officers coming toward her.

"Saxon wants you dead or alive, and there's been a few times I thought of selling you out before hand but now? I was iffy, but seeing the Doctor reduced to nothing sealed the deal. Get in while the getting's good."

"Everyone was so sure it was Jimmy, but I knew." She smiled, shaking her head as she slowly lifted her hands in the air while the enforcement officers circled her with their weapons pointed at her. "So, how are you taking me in? Dead, or alive?"

"Alive," One officer said as he approached her, waving a black bag in front of her face. "For now."

Rose chuckled. "Don't want me to know where I'm going? Oddly pointless if you're gonna kill me, yeah?" She said before the bag was shoved roughly over her head while two very strong hands gripped her arms painfully. She gritted her teeth, struggling against them on instinct. Something hit her in the head, and whether she died or was knocked out Rose couldn't even tell any more.

Knocked out, definitely. She woke up to a voice saying that they landed on board the valiant, and there was no death yet that would have put her out that long. Her temple ached a little, and her body was stiff, but physically she was fine other wise. She felt the holster from her hip had been removed, the sensation of being naked without it a tad unsettling but not surprising after having it for so long. She was surprised she wasn't handcuffed, but then how often had big, burly men like these bruts often mistook her petite frame to mean she was weak.

"Saxon's going to be thrilled with this catch," One man said, holding her arms tightly. If they noticed she was supporting her own weight as they carried her off the aircraft and down the hall, they didn't say. Rose's feet moved in time with theirs, and as she was lead through the halls of what had to be the Valiant she slowly lifted her head.

"Maybe we'll get to live, then," Said the other. "Don't think we'd survive a war with the Universe, but maybe we'll be one of the lucky ones who get to stay here with him."

"Maybe," the other said.

A small twinge of something tickled her mind as they walked, and Rose's heart leapt as she recognized the hum of the TARDIS even if it was filled with agony. She knew her Wolf was aboard, and something akin to hope hit Rose in the heart from the beautiful ship. Voices over the ships speakers echoed, one sounding like the Master's, but Rose didn't care. With as much strength as he could, she sent love and hope back to the ship before the tickle became too weak to feel and a headache threatened.

"At Zero, to mark this day, the child, Martha Jones, will die." She heard the Master's voice suddenly seemed loud as she was turned down the next hall. "Ha, my first blood. Any last words? No? Such a disappointment, this one." There was a pause, and Rose sensed they had entered the bridge. With her sight gone and her mind already open she could sort of sense the people around her. Jack, the Doctor, Martha, and a few others. She was there, the time had come, and from beneath her hood she smiled. "Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the time vortex. This one's useless." The Master continued, and Rose squirmed just a small bit before she managed to rein in the flare of anger his words stirred in her. "Bow your head." The Master commanded, and there was a pause. "And so it falls to me, the Master of all, to establish from this day the new order of Time Lords. From this day forward …."

He was cut off by Martha's chuckle.

"What? What's so funny?" The Master asked, and Rose snickered from beneath her hood.

"A gun?" Martha asked incredulously.

"What about it?" The Master asked.

"A gun in four parts?"

"Yes, and I destroyed it."

"A gun in four parts, scattered across the world? I mean, come on, did you really believe that?"

"What do you mean?" The Master asked, and Rose outright laughed.

"Honestly," She said, unable to resist at this point. She _felt_ every single person in the room look at her, could sense the mix of wonder, disbelief, and curiosity that came over those present. "We came up with the bloody idea on the side of a road somewhere in Illinois I think. Seriously? The Doctor asking us to kill?" She stopped as she heard the click of shoes cross the room toward her, waiting with a patient smirk as the hood was ripped off her head.

"What?" The Master looked at her with wide eyed astonishment, and she heard Jack laugh joyously somewhere off to the side.

"Sorry?" Rose said with mock confusion. "Was I not supposed to be here?" She looked around the room, at the joy in those who knew her, the confusion from those who didn't. Her eyes fell on the Doctor, and her heart warmed. "I thought Bad Wolf was to brought before the Master dead or alive? And here I am, brought to you alive so you could have the pleasure of a second blood." She looked back to the Master. "The two martyrs of the Doctor joining each other in death as the countdown ends. Well, suppose it would have been a good idea if it'd actually work. But yeah, if it's inconvenient I can just go back to blowin' up your ships and wrecking havoc over your lil slave camps."

"You're dead." He said flatly.

"Think you need to get your eyes checked, mate." Rose replied, her smirk growing into a grin that she couldn't help but put her tongue in the corner of.

"Nope," he laughed. "Just have to fix a grievous mistake." He said, pointing his laser screw driver at her and firing instantly.

Blackness.

Then the air rushed back into her burning lungs. Rose slowly opened her eyes, and they fell on Jack who had been looking at her with pain in his eyes, his beautiful face marred with dirt and tears. Astonishment slowly came over him, and when she winked at him, he grinned.

"Blimey," She said loudly, cutting off someone. Martha maybe? She'll have to apologize later. "And I thought bullets were bad." Rose said as she got back up on her feet and ignoring how her chest ached, though the guards made no move to restrain her. She looked at the Doctor, his huge, wet eyes somehow going wider. "Though I'm not not sure how long I was out. Might've been a quicker come back then I'm used to. Sorry, Martha, I think your were explaining somethin' to this git, didn't mean to interrupt."

The Master stared at her terrified. "How?" He asked.

"Something the matter, Master?" Rose said tilt of her head. "Not afraid of the big, Bad Wolf are you?"

" _How!_ " He demanded, stomping his foot like a spoiled child.

"You really are _thick_ aren't you?" She said, stepping around him with confidence, moving to stand next to the Doctor in his cage. She put her fingers inside, feeling his cold, tiny hand grip one as tightly as he could. The rush of love, relief, confusion mixed with pure joy hit her hard enough she stumbled a bit, but she regained her composure quick enough. "Martha was telling you exactly how she's about to take you out and you're more concerned with something that doesn't even matter. Honestly, talk about rude and not ginger." She looked to Martha who beamed up at her. "Martha, you'll have to give him the short version, he wasted too much time."

"It's simple really," Martha snickered, turning her attention back to the Master. "Stories hold power, bring hope, and that's just what I did. I walked the Earth, not looking for a weapon but to spread words. Stories of us, of the Doctor, of all he's ever done for everyone."

"And she's not the only one." Rose said as Martha paused, the Master looking between the two of them like he wasn't sure who to shut up first. "All of the Doctor's human companions still alive told their stories, too. But it was Martha's instruction that really matters."

"I told them to think one word, one thought, at one moment, but with fifteen satellites." Martha added.

"What?" The Master's face fell, his body tensing.

"The Archangel Network." Jack said, smiling wide.

"A telepathic field binding the whole human race together, with all of them thinking the same thing at the same time." Martha said. "And that word is 'Doctor'."

As the countdown reached zero, Rose looked to her Doctor.

Every single center of her brain focused on him: her love for him, her belief in him, the strength he'd brought her and so many others. He held her eye even as the glow started to form around him.

"I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices." The Doctor admitted as the power started to surround him.

The Master said something, running about the room before flying up the stairs to stand by his wife, but Rose paid him no mind. She focused her thoughts on her adventures with her Doctor, on his laughter, his smiles, his touch, his determination. She saw the grin pulling on his lips as he broke free from the cage, returning to the form of the old man he had been when they left.

Everyone around the room had been saying his name, all with varying degrees of emotion, all with hope, and the swell in her heart was likely not just Rose's.

" _My_ Doctor." Rose whispered, giving him the smile he loved so much.

And then he was there, back to his younger looking self, a smirk on his face as he gave her a slight shake of his head.

" _My Precious Rose._ " He thought before he let go of her hand and levitated up to the Master.

Leaving him to face down the Master by himself, Rose turned to Jack and ran for his open arms. He crushed her to him, and she squeezed him back as they watched the Doctor and the Master.

"The one thing you can't do," The Doctor said, the calm before the storm simmering in his voice. "Stop them thinking. Tell me the human race is degenerate now when they can do this." He said, gesturing to the energy field around him.

"No!" The Master cried out, lifting his laser screwdriver and firing at the Doctor. Rose tensed, bracing herself before seeing every shot deflected by the energy field.

"I'm sorry," The Doctor said, shaking his head. "I'm so sorry."

"I'll kill them," The Master screamed desperately, aiming his screwdriver at the Jones', Martha having joined them. The Doctor flicked his wrist, and the screwdriver launched from the Master's hand and flew across the room a few feet away. Gently pushing Jack off, Rose strode over to it, caught the Master's eye, and stomped on it. She felt it shatter and spark under her foot, watching as the Master started having trouble breathing. "You can't do this!" The Master cried in panic. "You can't! It's not fair!"

"And you know what happens now," The Doctor said, floating toward the Master as he backed down the stairs, trying to get away from the Doctor as he packed him against a wall. "You wouldn't listen, because you know what I'm going to say."

"No," The Master whimpered repeatedly, curling into a ball with his head tucked between his legs and his arms up in a sad attempt to cover his ears.

As the Doctor knelt beside the Master, Rose could see all the love the former once had for the latter come through. All the love that was still there for the man he once called his best friend, and the only other member of his species. "I forgive you." The Doctor said, stroking the Master's back, and for a moment sympathy for the poor, lost little boy who went insane before the vortex washed over her.

"My Children," The Master gasped out, and the sympathy was gone.

"Rose, Jack, the paradox machine!" The Doctor yelled out.

"You men, with us," Jack said to the men who had been guarding him, grabbing a machine gun. "You two, stay here." He ordered the two who had brought her in.

Rose pulled a hand gun from the hip of one of the guards who had been her escort. "Since you took mine," she said, checking the chamber quickly before taking off and forcing herself not to look back as she heard the Doctor cry out 'no'.

"You and I are going to have a talk later," Jack said breathlessly as they ran down the corridors to where the TARDIS was being held, Rose pointing the way as the tickle the ship had on her mind grew stronger.

"Could swap stories you and I." She replied as they got the the room, the two guards who came with them stopping as they did at the sight of the Toclafane.

Rose was the only one who didn't fire at them, even as it earned an arched brow, confused look from Jack.

"Can't get it, we'd get slaughtered." One of the guards noted.

Rose tilted her head from side to side as if to crack her neck, rolling it and her shoulders for good measure. "Not as bad as a bomb," She told herself as she walked into the room.

"We must protect the Paradox." One of them said in a child-like voice.

"That's my ship," Rose said firmly. "And if you want it, you're going to have to take me down to get it." She tossed her jacket aside, tucked her hand gun in her back pocket, then beckoned them to come at her.

"A new play thing from Master!" One exclaimed.

"We shall have fun together." Said a second.

"Her blood will make the paradox so much prettier!" The last one agreed.

As the spheres with blades and spikes came at her, Jack dove for the TARDIS. Rose, once seeing he got by without much notice, dove, tucked, and rolled away from them. She was at the door of the TARDIS, Jack leaving it partially open for her, and she stood to slide inside.

"Rose!" She heard Jack call, and things went black a moment.

When she opened her eyes again, she and Jack were inside the TARDIS, and he was firing his machine gun at the grating surrounding the time rotor.

"Limme guess," She said as the shots ended. Jack whipped around to look at her, smiling. "Laser?"

He chuckled. "Oh, Rosie." He started to say before something similar to a gush of wind hit them. "What the?"

Rose reached up and grabbed a hold of the rail, feeling the TARDIS In her mind hum with utter relief as if she'd finally been given something to relieve her pain. The air moved around her as if it had been compressed a moment for, and Jack was forced forward, hitting the railing beside Rose hard before managing to grab on to it tightly.

Rose giggled, which caused Jack to laugh, in turn putting her in stitches, the TARDIS humming laughter in her mind as well as the rotor slowly changed from red, to purplish-brown, to blue. The second she felt she could move without being knocked about, Rose let go of the railing and started running out the TARDIS, grabbing her jacket off the floor and putting it on along the way. She heard Jack close behind her, and possibly even the two guards that came with them as they headed back toward the bridge of the Valiant.

As the doors opened, the Master was poised in an attempt to make an escape before crashing into Jack. Rose pulled her hand gun from her back pocket, finger on the trigger but keeping it at her side.

"Whoa, big fella! You don't want to miss the party," Jack said as he grabbed the Master's arms. "Cuff him." He told one of the guards who obliged. "So, what do we do with this one?" He asked as he gave the Master a bit of a shove.

He stumbled a little, looking back at them just as Rose slowly lifted the gun. He stared at it, something changing in his gaze as he smirked.

"We kill him," A man Rose presumed to be Martha's father said.

"We execute him," her sister chimed in.

"Could do," Rose said as she turned off the safety.

"No, that's not the solution," The Doctor said, but Rose was focused solely on the Time Lord smiling wickedly in front of her.

"Bad Wolf," The Master said slowly, turning and gazing at her with a look of appreciation. He laughed a little in his throat. "Now I see it. The woman who wrecked havoc and took _so_ many lives. Pathetic, meaningless lives, of course, but still." She narrowed her gaze on him. "Oh, ho, ho, and aren't you gorgeous with that murderous look in your eyes."

Rose's lips curled into a snarl.

"Rose," The Doctor said with the weight of his panic. "Rose, think of what you're doing."

"Am. Have been for a while." She responded without looking. "I want you safe. Protected from the false God." She echoed the words she said before, sensing the Doctor tense with his deep intake of breath. "How many times have you killed me in the last year?" She asked the Master.

"Enough I'm sure it warrants a return in the favor." He replied, and if his arms weren't cuffed behind his back he likely would have spread his arms in a tempting gesture.

"Rose, no!" And the Doctor was there beside her, hand on her upper arm and placing gentle pressure on it. He sent her calm, reassurance, love, but she could only return the last. "No, you are so much better than this."

"Am I?" She asked with a snort. "Killed a lot of people in the last year, Doctor. Have a lot of blood on my hands whether I intended it or not."

"The year is reset, Rose." He said soothingly. "Everything that happened is wiped of the minds from everyone except those of us on this ship. Everything, every life is restored."

Her stance wavered slightly. "It's all gone." She said in disbelief, remembering her time with Tim, Sarah Jane, Jimmy, meeting Grace. The men and women who wouldn't have escaped the traps she set, or got in the line of fire when she didn't mean them to. Her arm quivered a bit, and she almost lowered her gun.

"Well if you won't let your _pet_ kill me then what will you do?" The Master asked, looking to the Doctor now.

Both men seemed to ignore Rose's growl at what the Master called her, but the Doctor sent another wave of calm as her arm went rigid and the gun returned it's aim to the Master's chest.

"You are the only other Time Lord left in existence, you are my responsibility."

"You can't trust him," Jack echoed exactly what Rose thought, standing on the other side of her.

"No," The Doctor shook his head. "The only safe place for him is the TARDIS." Rose turned a glare on the Doctor, and she felt the TARDIS hum her begrudging agreement with her Time Lord. Out numbered two to one, Rose tried to ease the tension her desire to pull the trigger had on her.

"You mean you're just gonna keep me?" The Master asked, and when Rose shifted her eyes to him, she could tell that he'd rather be shot.

"If that's what I have to do." The Doctor replied.

_Bang!_

The Master stumbled, eyes wide with pain and a bit of relief. He smiled slightly at Rose before he fell on to his knees.

"Rose!" The Doctor cried out as he dove to catch the Master, looking up at her with confusion as he caught his former friend in his arms.

"Wasn't me." She said, replacing the safety and lowering the gun. Her eyes fell on the Master's wife. She held the gun loosely in her hand, gazing at the Master with this half dazed look, like she wasn't entirely sure she'd done it and really didn't care if she had. The black eye she sported probably helped with her decision making, though from the way Jack seemed to ease the gun from her grip with hardly a rise out of her made Rose wonder if perhaps there hadn't been any thought put behind the decision at all.

And she was so close to doing it herself.

Swallowing the guilt, Rose knelt down by the two Time Lords, unsure what to do as she wanted to comfort the Doctor but wasn't sure she should.

"Always the women," The Master said, looking to Rose. "You wouldn't have let me stay."

"'Course I would've." She replied firmly, every word true. "If that's what he wanted, then that's what would have happened. Didn't mean I had to like it."

The Master laughed, coughing a little. "Oh, she's got a bite, this one." He looked to the Doctor. "Least you'll still have someone to torment you when I die."

"You're not dying, don't be stupid." The Doctor said with a veil of exasperation. "It's only a bullet. Regenerate."

"No," The Master said firmly.

"Why not?" Rose asked. "The lengths you've gone through to live before?"

The Master laughed, a bit of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Not much of a life, imprisonment."

"Come on, it can't end like this." The Doctor growled, desperation in his voice as he shook the Master. "You and me, all the things we've done. Axons? Remember the Axons? And the Daleks?" Tears sprung to his eyes, and Rose's heart broke. "We're the only two left, there's no one else." The Doctor's chest heaved. "Regenerate!" He half yelled, desperate and scared.

"How about that?" The Master teased. "I win." He seemed to struggle with breathing, and despite everything he'd done, everything his reign made her become, Rose clutched his hand. "Will it stop? The drumming?"

"Yes," She said softly, feeling the double pulse in the palm of his hand speed before it stopped.

The Master's eyes rolled back, his eyes closed, and Rose looked up at the Doctor. They waited a moment, just a few seconds for that golden glow to take over the Master's body, and when it hadn't the Doctor screamed. Letting go of the Master's hand, Rose moved and wrapped her arms around his neck, her shields raised as she poured her love and regret for what he lost our over their bond. In turn, she took his grief, as much as she could bare. His agony over his lost friend, over being the last of his kind once more, understanding without his needing to say that this moment was like watching Gallifrey burn all over again. She kissed his cheek, her tears mingling with his, and he took one hand off the Master to keep her head pressed against his as he let all the pain out.

* * *

 

She helped him build the pyre. Neither said a word as they staked the logs on the deserted beach into a high block, nor did they when the Doctor took the Master's wrapped body and placed it on top.

"We burn our dead." He said as he took a spare stick, wrapping some of the remaining rags from that of the Master's body and tied it to the end. "Time Lord DNA is so … if it ever got into the wrong hands."

"We both know it's not about that." Rose said gently as she placed her hand in his.

"No," He said, locking their fingers together and sending her his love and thanks. "It's not." He gave her hand a squeeze before letting go. He reached deep into his pockets, producing a lighter a few seconds later. He struck it, holding the flame against his torch until it caught fire, then took a deep, shuddering breath.

Rose watched as he strode up to the Pyre, lighting the dry wood and tossing the torch into the fire after it caught.

He returned to her side, taking her hand as silent tears ran down his stern looking face.

"I would have stayed." She said as she watched the fire climb and catch the Master's body. "Had you brought him on board, I would have stayed. I want you to know that, without a doubt. He would not have made me leave."

"Thank you," He said, and she felt the sincerity of it carried over their skin contact.

They stood on the beach together until the fire started dying down, and then with hands still joined the returned to the TARDIS.

Inside was quiet, Jack was likely in his old room sleeping after months of being forced to remain somewhat upright, Martha and her family were somewhere inside where they could talk in quiet safety, leaving them the only two in the control room

Rose ran her hand along the console, feeling the Old Girl hum with delight and love. She hummed in return, smiling as the time rotor glowed a little brighter.

"You're alive." The Doctor said after Rose completed a lap around the room. She looked over to see he'd discarded his long coat and stood at the top of the ramp with his hands in his pockets. "I knew in my gut when the Master brought me that TARDIS key that you were. No ring found, something that should have gone noticed if everything else around was ash. But I watched him shoot you in the chest, watched you drop, saw your chest stop moving, and then you stood up as if nothing happened."

"Well, not entirely true. Just learned to mask the pain. My chest only really stopped aching an hour ago." Rose confessed, stopping a few feet away from him, seeing how his eyes studied her with fear and awe.

"It's not possible." He said, some of those emotions coming through in his voice. "Nothing about you feels wrong. You have one heart, and what's more, it's not even like you regenerated." He took two large steps toward her, reaching out and taking her hands while maintaining a bit of distance. "How?"

"So long as he wanders, so too shall the wolf." She said, holding his eye before she sent him her memory of the face of Boe telling her those words. "The _Bad_ Wolf." She added.

"Bad Wolf," He half snorted, shaking his head.

"Stronger, faster, smarter, and yours. Forever. So long as you live, I will too. I created myself, and since you had me pretty much from 'run' I made it so I could run with you until you couldn't run anymore." She squeezed his hands. "I love you, I will love you for the rest of our lives, but if you don't want me here."

The Doctor laughed incredulously, shaking his head and looking at everything but her.

"Rose Tyler," He said with deep affection, sending it to her in torrents so strong her breath caught. His eyes met hers, and for the first time in so long they were warm, and full of wonder. He said something in Gallifreyan, the same long and lilting sentence he had said to her a few times before.

"Which means?" She asked, a chuckle to her voice.

"More than can properly be said," He replied, "But roughly it translates to me saying that my love for you is not bound to a body, but a soul. It can not be changed or altered by anything except to grow stronger and more resilient. It is forever. And if you, my sweet, wonderful, incredible, precious girl have done the impossible and made it so that we share that forever together than I am _never_ going to let you go." He stepped closer, dropping her hands to hold her by the waist.

Rose put her hands on his shoulders. "I've changed, though." She said cautiously. "'M not the girl that made it happen." She took a deep breath, put her fingers to his neck, and showed him all the things she'd done over the year that never was. All the lives she took, the things she'd done, the darkness that started to come over her.

"Rose," He said softly, closing his eyes, mouth moving around words not coming out. "I was such a bitter, hardened man when I met you." He opened his eyes slowly, locking his gaze to hers. "You made me better, so much better. You love me despite everything I've done, and now … now, Precious Girl, let me show you that that love goes both ways in every way." He leaned and kissed her, sending her every ounce of love and devotion he could, bringing her to silent tears as she kissed him back. "You helped me," He said softly, breaking their kiss a moment. "Now it's my turn to help you." He brushed his nose against her before his lips found hers again.

It struck her in that moment that it was the first time they'd had any kind of intimate contact in a year, even if the year was now gone. The thought intensified every brush of his cool lips, every stroke of his tongue, and suddenly he overwhelmed her. And by the way his fingers dug into her body it wasn't one sided.

They broke apart at the same time, both panting, both unable to look away as they clutched one another.

"We can't." He said quickly.

"You're right," She agreed.

"Too much happened." He nodded.

"Very emotional day." She added.

"Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't care." And he scooped her up, bringing her down the corridors to their bedroom, untouched since last they were in it, and kicked the door shut behind them.


	33. Epilogue

There was a knock on their bedroom door, and neither made to get up as they laid in each other's arms, Rose in a vest top, the blankets covering the fact she was only wearing knickers beneath them, the Doctor in his pants. They caught up enough for the time being hours ago, but neither wanted to put much more effort in getting dressed when laying in one another's arms seemed so much more appealing than simply waiting for everyone out in the console room.

The door creaked open, which caused the Doctor to bolt up right as Jack stepped inside.

"What?" He said, more confused than surprised as he looked at the door with a double take. "Okay, well, guess I know what room's the fun one now!" He said with a grin and a wink.

"What do you want Jack?" the Doctor said, glancing down at Rose as if to make sure she was decent. "And would you close the door? Bad enough _you're_ seeing this."

"I don't know," Jack said as he closed the door, looking the Doctor over. "Not all that bad of a sight to be seeing."

The Doctor grumbled, reaching for his trousers and pulling them on before carefully getting out of bed to get his oxford. "Why are you in our bedroom?" He asked. "Better yet, why were you even allowed in here?" He asked the ceiling with a glare, to which the TARDIS gave away nothing.

"Actually, it was Rosie's door when I knocked, and she never had an issue with my coming in before." Jack shrugged. "TARDIS wouldn't let me in if she wasn't decent."

"Alright," The Doctor said as he moved to the closet and found a pair of Rose's sweat pants, tossing them over to her. "Why were you coming to Rose's room?" He asked Jack with a touch of the oncoming storm in voice.

"I wanted to talk to her, just her." Jack said, crossing his arms and puffing his chest a little.

Rose rolled her eyes. "And it had to be now?" She asked with a grin.

"Well I would have earlier but the TARDIS hid your door. I took that to mean you were busy." He said, sternly at first before a grin broke out over his face. "Guess I was right."

"I'll be in the console room." The Doctor said as he headed for the door. "I'll check on the old girl while you two chat." He opened the door and slid out, closing it quickly behind him.

Jack sat down on the bed beside Rose, moving the sweat pants out of the way. "He has no idea that I've already seen you in your underwear before, does he?" He asked, scooting back against the headboard.

Rose laughed, "Probably forgot he took us to that pleasure planet with the beach resort. Knickers and swim bottoms aren't much different, yeah?" She smiled, but when Jack didn't really laugh in return it fell. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I watched you come back to life." He said. "How is it that you're okay to be around, but I'm not?" He asked.

Rose sighed. "Because I will die, one day. When he does." She said, pulling at the blankets.

"So you're not like me?" He said, a touch of deflation in his voice.

"Not exactly, no." She replied, putting a hand on his. "Does it hurt? Coming back?"

"Sometimes." He said quietly. "You?"

"Yeah," She nodded. They sat together quietly for a long while, Rose eventually putting her head on his shoulder, and he dropped his arm around her.

After a bit he started chuckling, and Rose glanced up to see all the melancholy had gone. "I'm in the Doctor's bed, with Rose Tyler, and all I can think about is how crappy it is to not be able to die." Rose snorted, shaking her head against his shoulder. "Can you do anything about it? Can you fix it?"

"I don't have powers, Jack." Rose straightened up, looking at him with a sad smile. "Bad Wolf by name alone, me. Not a goddess anymore. I'm sorry, truly."

"Well, how about this then, immortal support group." He said, reaching into his pocket and digging out his cell phone. "Give me your number, I'll text you mine, and when ever one of us dies we call the other, alright?"

"Morbid lil club we'll have." She said, as she took Jack's phone and started updating the contact he had for her long ago.

The TARDIS engines ground around them, and both she and Jack looked up at the ceiling.

"Where are we, do you think?" He asked her.

"I dunno." She said. "Let me get dressed and I'll go check." She said, looking expectantly at Jack while he continued to sit there. "That means you've got to leave."

"I thought we already discussed that I've seen you in your underthings?" He said with a grin.

Rose blushed. "One, not these knickers you haven't, and two, I need to change them."

Jack's grin stretched, and before he could say anything she started shoving him off the bed, grabbing a pillow and hitting him as much as she could without exposing the lower half of her body.

"Alright, alright, I'm going." He said, laughing as he backed toward the door. "Though now I'm really curious as to what…."

"Out, Jack." She yelled, and he laughed as he finally left her to get changed.

* * *

 

"Home, sweet home," The Doctor exclaimed as Martha's family looked apprehensively at the doors. "One day after the election. World's back the way it was." He reassured as Martha's father opened the door and peeked outside before taking a step outside.

Martha watched them nervously, feeling her stomach knot as her mother went up to the Doctor and hugged him tight, the two having a whispered conversation that seemed too intimate for the kind of relationship they had before. She'd have to ask later, if it seemed like a conversation her mother would be willing to have, as to what happened between them during that year. Her sister followed her mother in giving the Doctor a tight hug, and the two of them left she and the Doctor alone in the console room.

She watched him as he ran his fingers over the controls without pressing anything, leaning against the console while facing her.

"Where's Rose?" She asked, immediately regretting it.

"She's down in our room, talking to Jack." The Doctor said with a hint of apprehension. "The two have a bit more in common now than they used to, and I have a feeling that they both need to just sorta talk it out." He said, a hand flailing about in various gestures before pulling on his ear.

Martha nodded, looking down at her hands as her fingers entwined and pulled apart. "I thought she was dead." She said after a deep breath. "I thought for months that I was going to come back to you and I'd have to tell you the news, or that maybe you already knew. I tried to imagine for your sake what it must have been like to know someone you love that much was gone, but I couldn't. And then it turned out that I didn't even need to. For the best though, yeah?"

"Yeah," He said with an absentminded grin. "I don't think she'll ever cease to amaze me." He admitted, meeting Martha's gaze. His smile fell a little, and at that, she sighed.

"I had this friend once. Sorta more of an acquaintance, actually. But she was stupid in love with this bloke. Madly, to the point where she was blinded by all the bad, all the things she should have seen. Like how he not only didn't love her, but he was already in love with someone else. And I hated her so much, because she reminded me of my Dad's stupid girlfriend who _knew_ he was married and swept in and stole him anyway. And because of those two women I promised myself I would be better than that.

"But you know what? I haven't been. Maybe in the beginning it was fine for me to wonder if maybe I had a chance, but I really should have known after … after the whole you being human thing. Maybe even before, because you had eyes for her all along. And I tried, I told myself that I would do one or two more trips, see how I faired, and decide. And then during that year, once I thought Rose died, I started hoping again. That maybe it would be me you would need to pull you through, that it would be me that would …. And when Rose walked into that room I was so happy, I was. But not to my core, because the fact still stands that I am at least impossibly infatuated with you. And that's why I need to walk away. I have a family that needs me, I have an education to continue, and I have a broken heart that needs healing and it can't do that being on this ship.

"I asked myself not long before the whole mess with the Master happened why I was traveling with you and I know now the answer is not what it should be. I should be with you for the adventure, and the truth is I'm not cut out for that."

"I think you are." He said earnestly. "You saved the world, Martha Jones. With words. You saved the human race with stories, and that's … that's bloody brilliant."

"I am good," She agreed. "Too good to put myself through this." She said with a smile, turning to the corridor as the sound of Rose's footsteps thundered toward her. "I guess this is goodbye, then." She said to the blonde.

"You're leaving," Rose said with understanding, coming over to her and surprising Martha by pulling her into a hug.

"I have to," Martha replied, returning the embrace, closing her eyes against the wave of heartache she felt at the thought. "But you and I, we were amazing."

"No," Rose shook her head before leaning back, looking Martha in the eye. "You were. I was just there."

She looked to Rose for the longest time, trying to find some hint of relief that she was leaving, finding only deep regret. Chewing her bottom lip a moment, Martha took a deep breath and grinned. "I still have your number, so don't go changing it. One day, I'm going to call, and when I do, you and him better come running, alright?"

"Be there in a heart beat," Rose replied sincerely. "Time and place, we'll be there."

Martha nodded, pulling Rose in for another hug before stepping back and walking out the TARDIS doors.

Outside in her mother's backyard, Martha could see her family through the window. Her mother and father were hugging, perhaps that was even a kiss she caught her Dad place on her Mum's cheek. Her brother, the only family member who didn't know what happened, seemed surprised while Tish laughed. Martha grinned, seeing that maybe for once she wouldn't have to be the mediator, that maybe even though the year was hell and she walked away with emotional scars and a broken heart it was still a bit of a good thing. Because now she knew she was strong, she was able, and that she deserved to be worshiped by whoever she dared to give her heart to.

She walked into the house without looking back at the ship, not even when she heard the engines whir as it vanished from the backyard.

* * *

 

Rose and the Doctor walked hand in hand down a path, University students passing them by, some giving them odd looks but most ignoring them. She followed her instinct, and curiosity flowed from the Doctor into her. She was the one that flew here after all, and she did so without saying a word as to what she was doing.

She stopped quite suddenly, causing the Doctor to run into her.

"Rose, what are you…" He started to say but must of have notice him. The boy with black hair and blue eyes who stopped short himself on the other end of the path, books in his hands falling to the paved walk way as he stared back at them.

Tim smiled as Rose did, and suddenly he was bolting down the path toward them.

Rose fully expected the Doctor to be the one that Tim ran to, hadn't even expected him to look at her twice, but she'd be lying if she was to say she wasn't thrilled when the thin boy's arms wrapped tightly around her neck.

"Wolf Girl!" He his joyous greeting was muffled against her shoulder, and Rose actually burst into tears.

"You remember." She managed to choke out.

"Sorta," he said as she stepped back. "Oh come on, hanging with me was not that good." He said, though the young man looked a little misty eyed himself. He looked to the Doctor, "Hey Doc." He said.

"Tim," The Doctor said, confusion too evident as he attempted to use their previous greeting of a fist bump only to have Tim hug him too.

"Damn it's good to see you two." Tim said, clearing his throat. "Thought things are … fucking insane if I'm to be honest. And while no one here knows, will ever know, I do. I know what was supposed to happen, or did happen, or, man, I don't even know how to say it." He shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think I died, but I don't know." He admitted. "I see the months I was with you," He said to Rose. "Bits and pieces of it, but then … you're gone, and I die."

Rose swallowed, remembering the night before she left him, how nervous he was that he could no longer see any hint of what was to come. "Doesn't matter now," She said. "Didn't happen, yeah?"

"Yeah," he smiled. "So I suppose that means your offer to come with you didn't either."

"That stands." She said firmly.

Tim laughed. "Nah, nope, I am good with aliens for a while. But hell, drop by anytime, see if I change my mind, 'kay." He pointed firmly at her before his eyes fell on someone behind them. "Man he looks familiar." Tim said, and Rose and the Doctor both turned to see Jack had caught up to them. "Looks kinda like my grandpa when he was younger. Not from the past, is he?"

Rose's heart dropped to her stomach, and her eyes went wide. "Nope. That's Jack."

"Fifty first century," The Doctor said with the same amount of uncertainty that Rose was feeling, maybe feeding off hers as he took her hand again.

"Huh," Tim said, grinning. "Maybe I'm his ancestor then. That's a messed up thought." He shrugged. "Anyway, I better get my books and head to class. See you later?" He asked, arching a brow as he looked to Rose.

"Count on it," She said firmly, giving Tim a one armed hug before he retreated to where he was before, and they moved to join Jack.

"Tim had to be somewhere." The Doctor said with understanding. Rose merely smiled, leaning on her arm as they joined Jack and headed back to the TARDIS.

* * *

 

The TARDIS hummed happily as she fed off the energy from the rift in Cardiff while Jack and the Doctor flanked Rose while looking out over the pier.

"And here we are, just the three of us together again." Rose said. "Team TARDIS."

Jack chuckled. "I'd love to stay, but I think I know where I should be." He said, looking at the couple with resignation. "I had plenty of time to think over the past year, and I kept thinking about that team of mine. I have a responsibility to them, to Earth, to you two, and I intend to hold that up."

"Defending the Earth, can't argue with that." The Doctor said, tightening his grip on Rose's hand as he offered the other to Jack.

He took it, and Rose was only mildly surprised when the Doctor's hand slipped from hers, grabbing his sonic quickly from his pocket and pointed it at the Vortex manipulator on Jack's wrist.

"Hey, I need that!" Jack tried to protest.

"I can't have you walking around with a time-traveling teleport. You could go anywhere, twice. The second time to apologize."

"It's only polite." Jack said cheekily. "Alright, fine, but if I do need anything …"

"You'll call us, yeah?" Rose asked nervously.

Jack smiled. "Of course. Besides, we promised each other, didn't we? And when the wedding _does_ happen I expect an invitation."

"Promise." Rose replied. "'Sides, can't say we have too many friends who'll be around no matter what century we marry in."

"True," Jack said with a grin that fell slightly. "Though don't wait too long. I may be immortal but I do age."

"Worried about not being able to flirt with everyone at the party?" Rose teased.

Jack shook his head. "Honestly? Vanity thing. I was a poster boy for the Boeshane Pennisula back when I was a kid. Tiny little place, that. So imagine how proud they were when I was the first one ever to sign up for the Time Agency. Called me the face of Boe," He chuckled, and Rose felt the cold shock shoot through the Doctor into her as her jaw dropped. "Anyway, better go make sure they didn't actually go off to the alps." Jack said, throwing a thumb over his shoulder toward his Torchwood base under the tower. "Later." He said, either oblivious to their staring after him of not caring.

"Seriously?" Rose asked when she had enough of her wits back about her.

"I-I-I suppose." The Doctor stuttered, and she looked up to see him staring wide-eyed and slack jawed at Jack's vanishing back. "Who else could possibly know about you, and the wolf, and the running." Rose started laughing, which had the Doctor going, causing the two of them to stare off into the distance laughing for a few minutes before the silence of the pier reminded them where they were. "So," He said, loud and sudden, looking down at her with a manic grin. "Anywhere in time and space, Rose Tyler, where would you like to go?"

"I dunno," She said. "Just the two of us now."

"Are you alright with that?" He asked, the question seeming to mean so many different things.

"Are you?" She asked, biting her lip. "'M different."

"We've been over this." He reminded her comfortingly. "Doesn't change how I feel about you." He narrowed his gaze before it widened, fear dancing in his irises. "Did it change how you feel about me?"

"No," She said quickly, shaking her had as she reached up and cupped his cheeks. "Never. Never ever will my feelings for you change."

"Never say never ever," He reminded her firmly.

"You're right," She grinned. "'Cause I'll only love you more." He chuckled in his throat, smiling wider as her tongue poked out between her teeth. "Solodaris 4." She said firmly. "We both need time to ourselves, and what's better than a private beach?"

"Oh I can think of a few places that is _much_ better for time to ourselves." He said as his expression turned suggestive.

"Then Barcelona, start our family of ten dogs." She suggested as she slid her hands off his cheeks down to his neck.

"We are not having dogs in the TARDIS." He said.

"They can stay with Arthur," She said thoughtfully as if she didn't hear him. "A horse and two dogs, sounds like a good start, yeah?"

"Can't we just keep Jack?" He asked with a groan, and Rose chuckled before getting on her toes, reaching up to give him a kiss.

"Time," She said as she pulled back. "Just need time, us. Been through a lot, and before we go off adventuring, finding the trouble that's supposed to be the parts in between, let's just be us. We haven't been able to, not really, and Doctor."

He silenced her with his lips. "Time," He said in agreement as he pulled back, placing his head on hers. "Got plenty of that, us. Lots of time to run together." He took her hand, turning and heading back toward the TARDIS.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, commenting, or leaving Kudos.  
> I will be posting the second in series "Hold My Hand" in the next week or so.


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